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U.S. Lawmakers Urge Bush to Pressure Putin over Democracy in Russia Four prominent U.S. lawmakers urged President George W. Bush to rebuke Russian President Vladimir Putin over the “deterioration of democracy” in his country, as Russia prepares to host next month’s Group of Eight (G8) summit, AFP reported Tuesday. The lawmakers called on Bush — along with the leaders of G8 countries — to consider holding a separate meeting outside of Russia before or after the summit to be held next month in Saint Petersburg. “President Putin has steered Russia away from democracy and toward authoritarianism,” read the letter signed by Democratic Representative Tom Lantos and Republican David Dreier, together with senators John McCain, a Republican, and Democrat Joe Lieberman. “It is important that the G7 heads of state make clear that Russia’s actions are inconsistent with G8 democratic norms,” the U.S. lawmakers wrote. The G8, which Russia chairs this year, comprises Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States. Russia is to host the July 15-17 summit for the first time, but the lawmakers said Putin’s anti-democratic policies underscore that Moscow has not yet earned the privilege of belonging to the world’s most powerful international body. “He has increased pressure on opposition political parties and civil society, strengthened state control over national broadcast media, and pursued politically-driven prosecutions of independent business leaders, academics and others voicing criticism of the government,” the lawmakers wrote. “Regional governors, once directly elected, are now appointed by the Kremlin, and the government has taken a number of steps to reduce electoral competitiveness,” they wrote, decrying the continuing “deterioration of democracy” in Russia. ---------------------------------------------------
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