"Tens of Thousands March in Moscow to Honor Putin Critic"

By, Andrew E. Kramer

Link to article

This recent NYT article covers the recent assassination of Boris Nemtsov, the leading opposition leader opposed to Vladimir Putins regime.  Shot in the back during a demonstration, Nemtsov's assassination has galvanized the various Russian opposition groups and political parties that are at odds with Putins regime.

Unlike politics in the US, where national politics have traditionally been dominated by two political parties (since the Federalists and Anti-Federalists parties that were established shortly after the Revolutionary War), political parties and groups in Russia are more numerous.  Putin himself has come to be the dominant for<ace in Russian politics, with United Russia being the largest political party, with slightly more than half of the State Duma (Russian parliament).  The remaining Duma seats are divided amongst The Communist Party, A Just Russia, and the LDPR (Liberal Democratic Party of Russia- don't be fooled by the name, it's not liberal or democratic but the far-right nationalist wing of Russian politics).  Various other advocacy groups and single issue groups control varying amounts of sway in Russian political life, like free speech and free press groups, as well as gay rights activist groups.

All in all, this is probably one of the most (if not the most) significant political developments in the world.  Given the Ukraine crisis, followed by economic sanctions on Russia, which have subsequently devastated the ruble and the Russian economy, this event may have significant implications.  Unity of the disparate opposition parties, while also generating more opposition and perhaps deep distrust of Putins regime if any ties to the assassination are linked to the state, are all potential scenarios that could ultimately lead to a regime change in Russia.