The man nicknamed “the Russian Obama” has quit United Russia in an open letter to Vladimir Putin, bringing more bad publicity to the ruling party.
Joaquim Crima, a Guinea-Bissau native, came in third in 2009 elections to head a small district in the southern Volgograd region. His political aspirations combined with the color of his skin prompted media to compare him to Obama, a crude comparison but one that stuck. Crima himself played upon Russians’ notorious racism in his campaign, using a popular Russian saying as his slogan: “I’ll work like a negro.”
Crima quit United Russia on Tuesday, and joined A Just Russia, another pro-Kremlin party, but not the Official Party of Power, on Wednesday.
In his letter, published on A Just Russia's web site, Crima said United Russia violated the promise made ahead of the 2009 regional elections to raise salaries for state employees and rein in prices on basic foods and community services.
"None of this has been done," wrote Crima, who joined United Russia in 2007. "But money to raise officials' salaries is regularly found in the not-so-rich regional budget." He also criticized social spending cuts in the region.
This story will probably get more press abroad than at home. And, if anything, it could boost United Russia’s reputation here. I remember having dinner with a smart, accomplished, well-educated Russian man in 2002, back when Condoleezza Rice was National Security Advisor and Colin Powell was Secretary of State. Everything was going fine until we started talking about US politics. “So, what happened with Rice and Powell?” he asked. “Did you guys run out of qualified white people?”
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