President Dmitry Medvedev has called for an overhaul of Russia's "exhausted" political system in a sign that street protests and dissatisfaction with Vladimir Putin's 12-year rule are starting to have some impact.
The two men have dismissed the protesters' claims that a December 4 parliamentary election was marred by fraud and ignored calls for a rerun. They also sought to play down the significance of the demonstrations as Putin prepares to return to the presidency in an election next March. But Putin hinted at some token political concessions in his annual question-and-answer phone-in on Thursday. He said he might change the law to let opposition parties be registered and allow regional governors to be elected, rather than chosen by the president, if their candidacy is approved in advance.
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