These violations must be documented

“These violations must be documented,” said Mr. Filippov, who has worked in the regional government for about 15 years. “We cannot be silent about this. We will be doing a disservice if we fail to speak up today.” The Kremlin has been shaken in recent weeks cheap moncler jackets by the sudden and unexpected awakening of political life in Russia, as the middle class, angered by the election results, twice this month held huge protests in Moscow against United Russia and its leader, Vladimir V. Putin. On Tuesday, Vladislav Y. Surkov, a Kremlin official who is considered the architect of the centralized political system that has angered the protesters, was moved to a different job, in what appeared to be a sign that Mr. Putin takes the threat seriously.

But for United Russia and Mr. Putin, who has dismissed the fraud accusation and belittled the protesters, Mr. Filippov represents another, perhaps more serious threat. Mr. Filippov is just one of several officials to publicly break ranks with the party leadership in recent weeks, suggesting fraying loyalties while undermining the party’s already crumbling credibility more than any protester could. “This is probably what United Russia is scared of most: that someone from the inside will start to talk,” said an official in the Vladimir Region government, who did not want to be identified speaking about the party. “They don’t understand that the silence is hurting them above all. If nobody is guilty, then why remain silent? The question answers itself.” Whether out of conscience or a desire to assuage the anger of local constituencies, these dissenters have opened up a new front against the party as it maneuvers to confront the first real challenge to its authority in a decade. “I think the party needs to be revived, and not only Cheap moncler jackets,moncler jackets for men,moncler jackets for women on sale save up to 60% off. revived because this is happening already,” said Olga V. Kryshtanovskaya, an academic and a United Russia member. “The party has to be cleansed of the corrupt.

” Ms. Kryshtanovskaya and several colleagues created a group on Facebook called “UR for Free Elections,” using the United Russia logo with a white ribbon, the symbol of the protest movement. More than 250 people have joined the group, though it is unclear how many are actually United Russia members. Vladimir V. Semago, a member of the governing council of United Russia’s Moscow branch, wrote an op-ed in the opposition newspaper Novaya Gazeta last week praising the recent protests in an apparent attempt at penitence. “I have done many things in my political life that I am ashamed of,” Mr. Semago wrote. “But I do not have the nerve to appear in front of people who are now carrying out their civic duty, look them in the eye, and tell them that our seats in the Parliament are more important than their protest.”

 Some, including Mr. Semago, have even come out to the recent protests. Mr. Filippov has perhaps become the best known of these dissenters, thanks to a few minutes of video footage showing him condemning fellow United Russia legislators this month for failing to look into violations. “We’re sitting here like ostriches with our heads in the sand,” he says on video taken at a meeting of the budget committee. “The people are outraged, and we’re just going to sit here silently. This is a slap in the face to all voters in the Vladimir Region.” Mr. Filippov clearly did not intend for the footage to go public.Moncler Women Vest - Cheap Moncler Jackets. An employee with a local television station has been accused of taking raw footage and uploading it to YouTube, where it was picked up by national news agencies.