Russian President rues Facebook message
Dmitry Medvedev has been left red faced after a Facebook message intended to placate tens of thousands of angry demonstrators instead served as a rallying call for disillusioned voters to bombard his account with complaints.
Medvedev logged onto his Facebook account on Saturday, after watching 50,000 anti-Putin demonstrators assemble in Moscow, to denounce the activists.
But within hours the massed ranks on the street had been joined by thousands more armchair protestors who deluged Medvedev’s account with gripes of their own.
Medvedev wrote: “People have the right to express their views which is what they did yesterday. I don't agree with the slogans or the declaration that rang out at the meetings. Nevertheless, instructions have been given by me to check all information from polling stations regarding compliance with the legislation on elections."
Demonstrators are demanding that last week’s contentious election result, in which Medvedev’s United Russia party scraped a majority, be annulled.