The Kremlin backed United Russia Party has begun to open stores across the country, exchanging cheap goods for votes:
“Social” shops selling cheap furniture, clothes and shoes are being opened by United Russia in poor regions across the country. A clothes store opened by the party in Kirov offers pairs of jeans for 100 roubles (£2) to 400 roubles, and T-shirts for 30 roubles. War veterans and the disabled get a discount.
I don’t really think we need argue any further about whether Russian democracy remains alive. The life support machine has now been officially unplugged.