Russia's political system is showing signs of "ruinous" stagnation, President Dmitry Medvedev said on Wednesday, in his harshest criticism to date of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's ruling party.
Medvedev, who was steered into power by Putin in 2008, has pledged to open up the country's political system and modernise its oil and gas-dependent economy, but critics say he has failed to enact any significant reform.
Medvedev made the unusually sharp criticism in a video blog shown on Russian state television on Wednesday, saying that domestic politics, dominated by the United Russia party, was showing signs of stagnation.
"It is a known fact that symptoms of stagnation have begun to appear in our political life," he said.
"And such stagnation is equally ruinous for the ruling party and opposition forces."
The word "stagnation" is frequently used by critics of the Kremlin to compare modern Russia to the 1964-1982 rule of Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev, a period maligned almost as much as the chaotic 1990s under Putin's predecessor Boris Yeltsin.
The restoration of strong central control and rapid economic growth during his 2000-2008 presidency earned Putin an enduring popularity that underpins the political system.
But critics say the ruling elite has become complacent and unresponsive to voters.
Medvedev said the lack of political competition had marginalised the opposition, but also affected the ruling United Russia party, which dominates the 450-seat lower house of Parliament, the State Duma.
"If the ruling party has no chance to lose (to its competitors)... it will degrade too, just like any living body left without movement," he said.
The United Russia party, which dominates elections both on the federal and regional levels, is widely known as "the party of officials" because of the number of bureaucrats who are members and the backing it gets from the authorities.
Russia's pro-Western opposition was weakened significantly during Putin''s rule in 2000-2008. They failed to secure any seats in Parliament in 2007 elections.
Both Medvedev and Putin, now prime minister, have hinted either of them could run for presidency in 2012. Signs of significant tensions in the ruling "tandem" could shake the stability that underpins Russia's investment appeal.
Maria Lipman, analyst at the Moscow Carnegie Centre, said Mevdedev's message is a sign that the Kremlin wants to improve the image of the regime. But she said there was little evidence the government was preparing for a significant change -- either before or after 2011 parliamentary elections.
The Kremlin could in theory allow one or two opposition parties into Parliament, but only if United Russia still retains the majority needed to pass laws, she said.
"I think Medvedev is vowing cosmetic changes to show that there is more pluralism in Russian politics," she said.
"I doubt that the situation could improve to a level when we will have real political competition any time soon."
