Is Putin's reaction to Chechen terror one of the last nails in the coffin for Russian democracy? On September 13th, Vladimir Putin announced a plan to eliminate the general election of regional and independant seats in parliament. The Kremlin now enjoys (Reg. Possibly Required) control of "an absolute majority in parliament, all major television stations, the Russian gas giant Gazprom (which reportedly is positioning itself to acquire the private oil company Yukos), the country's corrupt judicial system and a massive state security apparatus," and the suppression of viewpoints opposing the Kremlin has prompted parallels to be drawn. more inside