Gorbachev's Op-Ed in the New York Times

I believe that it's the first time when Mr. Gorbachev praises President Boris Yeltsin and denounces post-Yeltsin Russia's government.

Here are some quotes:

"President Boris Yeltsin’s 1996 re-election and the transfer of power to his appointed heir, Vladimir Putin, in 2000 were democratic in form but not in substance. That was when I began to worry about the future of democracy in Russia."

"I sense alarm in the words of President Dmitri Medvedev when he wondered, “Should a primitive economy based on raw materials and endemic corruption accompany us into the future?” He has also warned against complacency in a society where the government “is the biggest employer, the biggest publisher, the best producer, its own judiciary ... and ultimately a nation unto itself.”

in reference to: Op-Ed Contributor - Today’s Russia - Perestroika Lost - NYTimes.com (view on Google Sidewiki)