Washington's Manipulative Dirty Hands
National Endowment-funded Golos (a so-called independent NGO election monitor) alleged over 2,000 irregularities, including 900 in Moscow. Executive director Grigory Melkonyants claimed "massive serious violations." He's well paid to say it.
NED, its National Democratic Institute (NDI) arm, the International Republican Institute (IRI), and similar organizations function as destabilizing US foreign policy tools.
They support pro-Western and/or regime change initiatives in over 90 countries. They operate like CIA alter egos, more openly than covertly by funding opposition groups. In Russia, they're actively anti-Putin.
Claiming it's a “private, nonprofit foundation dedicated to the growth and strengthening of democratic institutions around the world" masks NED's true agenda. It actively participated in US orchestrated "color revolutions" in Georgia, Ukraine, and elsewhere. It also manipulated so-called "Arab Spring" rebellions to create illusions of change.
It represents US imperial interests. Taking NED or other foreign funding violates Russian law. Making baseless accusations exacerbates the crime. In America, prosecutions would result. Golos operates freely in Russia.
Whatever irregularities occurred were minor. Polls showed Putin heavily favored to win. He did slightly better than expected.
As a result, Washington, its rogue NATO partners, and complicit media scoundrels have Putin to kick around for the next six years. Expect them to take full advantage.
