Don't worry GPP, I'm actually working on an update for Bleeding Florida as we speak.
Zhirinovsky's Russian Empire
- Thread starter Pellegrino
- Start date
Don't worry GPP, I'm actually working on an update for Bleeding Florida as we speak.
Oh my goodness . . . I read this back when I was a lurker, and it was amazing. Now it's coming back? Consider me in
Thanks to you both! Hope you enjoy the sequel!
An Oklahoman
Banned
In my TL, I'm considering having the LDPR come to power (sans Zhirinovsky). Do you mind if I PM you for advice on writing about Russia.
AFTER ZHIRINOVSKY, PART ONE: THE CLOWN BEFORE THE STORM
AFTER ZHIRINOVSKY
PART ONE: THE CLOWN BEFORE THE STORM
***
UIS Presidential Candidate Vladimir Putin in an interview with the BBC on February 2, 2017.
Discussing the early days of the Lebed Presidency.
BBC: Mr. Putin, let’s start by discussing the UIS role in the Second Korean War.
Putin: And what role is that?
BBC: Excuse me?
Putin: What do you think was the UIS role in the Second Korean War?
BBC: I’m not sure I understand the question? Alexander Lebed invaded North Korea. I don’t see how that is even remotely disputed.
Putin: Perhaps there was more to it than meets the eye. Maybe the real purpose of the intervention had nothing to do with North Korea.
BBC (long pause): All right then,. I’ll bite. What was the “real” reason Alexander Lebed almost started a nuclear war?
Putin: Well President Lebed was a very clever man. Perhaps to clever for his own good. He manipulated the world into fearing Vladimir Zhirinovsky while simultaneously manipulating Vladimir Zhirinovsky into pursuing his radical agenda. An agenda that ultimately could be summed up as such: protect the Union at all costs. He thought that Zhirinovsky served his purpose that he would simply become the darling of the West. He thought he would always be seen as the last sane man in the former Soviet Union. The Great Wall of Reason that kept both fascism and communism at bay.
BBC: So what went wrong?
Putin: You need a boogieman like Vladimir Zhirinovsky to be lurking in the shadows if you want the world to see you as the first line of defense…and by 2004 Vladimir Zhirinovsky looked anything like a looming threat. He was an utterly defeated shell of a man. A broken man. A weak man who no longer projected strength or instilled fear. He once was frightening because he was a clown who stumbled into the most powerful office on the planet. By the summer of 2004 he was just a clown…and even worse. He was a drunk clown. But as it turns out, sometimes there is a clown before the storm.
***
Anger mounts as former UIS President Vladimir Zhirinovsky arrested in Sochi strip club
By John Makela, NBC News
January 13, 2004
In an incident that President George Bush called “completely unacceptable” former UIS President Vladimir Zhirinovsky was arrested after he caused a riot and was kicked out of a Colombian strip club in Sochi. It was the second time Zhirinovsky was arrested for violating the terms of his house arrest, prompting protests from Western leaders and human rights activists.
“We are told that Vladimir Zhirinovsky is under house arrest in Sochi pending trial for treason in Moscow,” human rights activist and former Chechen refugee Umar Taimiev said from his office in London. “But it has become increasingly clear that government of the UIS is unwilling to enforce even the most basic provisions of his conditions of release. This is the second time that Chechen refugees like myself who suffered under the genocidal policies of Vladimir Zhirinovsky have been forced to read about his drunken antics in Russia. All the while there is no indication that the Russian government is supervising his house arrest at all.”
In early November Zhirinovsky caused an international incident when he drove his East German1986 Tabant P601 into the living room of a retired schoolteacher named Yulia Popova in Sochi. Popova, who lived several miles from Zhirinovsky’s house, reported to police that Zhirinovsky was intoxicated and that he offered to pay for the damages if she “promised not to tell Lebed.”
Zhirinovsky’s arrest in November caused an international incident, prompting President Lebed to promise that the UIS would “punish those who were derelict in their duties.” However, although Zhirinovsky’s guards were subsequently replaced, last nights incident has raised concerns that the former president’s house arrest remains little more than a sham.
Zhirinovsky was acting as a “celebrity judge” at a Colombian owned strip club called Elba before he caused an incident during one of the dance routines. Zhirinovsky, who was allegedly intoxicated, called on patrons to “grab them by the pussy,” before adding “you can do anything.”
The statement caused several patrons to attempt to physically accost several of the women at Elba, which in turn prompted security to end the competition and physically remove several of the patrons.
“I don’t know who he thinks he is but we run a classy joint here,” manager Epifanio Garza said of the incident with the former president. “There is no place for that sort of behavior in a respectable place like this.”
Garza refused to comment as to why an internationally wanted war criminal was allowed to judge a striptease at his establishment, but did advise that he would be more careful in his selection of celebrity judges for future contests.
***
“A Dream for Tomorrow- By former Russian Prime Minister Gennady Burbulis”
Published by Colorado State University Press, © 2014
CHAPTER ELEVEN
I shifted uncomfortably in my chair as I looked around the table. Most of the faces were new…and young. I was growing increasingly worried about the revolving door of advisors in the Lebed administration. Since taking office at the beginning of the year President Lebed had changed his cabinet twice, and shuffled several of his key advisors including me. I was moved out as Mister of Finance a month after the election when the ruble lost 20% of its value in six weeks. I expected to be sent home, after all, if his goal was to discredit one of his strongest liberal opponents then that was very much accomplished. I knew I had become somewhat unpopular, but he nonetheless asked me to stay on as Minister of Sports. It was a demotion, the UIS Ministry of Sports was literally created that month, and it’s duties were ill defined. But I nonetheless agreed to stay on board. But his initial replacement as Minister of Finance, Mikhail Tyumenev, only lasted three months before he quit…or was fired. The two clashed frequently and by the time he left the cabinet he became one of President Lebed’s harshest critics. He subsequently joined the Yabloko Party, and called on the removal of President Lebed from office. He also was a harsh critic of me, and often called me a turncoat and a traitor to the democratic movement for my partnership with the Liberal Democrats. My own political party, the Democratic Choice of the UIS, had suffered badly and many of its members were abandoning the party en masse. I was concerned, but not entirely surprised. To be honest, I saw a great deal of logic in the move. We had lost the election in 2003 because we, the reformists, had splintered. It was to our benefit to rally around a central figure, and Yabloko head Sergey Mitrokhin was emerging as that central figure. Mitrokhin refused to criticize me harshly, citing my role in the Revolution of 2002 as a major factor in the ousting of Vladimir Zhirinovsky. But he still questioned my decision to work with the Lebed administration and would often “suggest” that I should come back to the fold. It was a tempting offer. Although I respected Lebed’s commitment to free market reforms he was showing signs of authoritarianism. And he seemed to lack the organization for government work, and often seemed preoccupied with military matters. Sometimes he would announce major policy changes and then either forget his proclamation or simply disregard it. It was a troubling trend because it fostered corruption, something I was keenly aware of.
By November of 2003 I knew that there needed to be substantial reform, and soon. The presidency of George Bush was the only thing that kept the UIS economy afloat. Bush’s economic policies had the effect of devaluing the U.S. Dollar, and that was the only thing that was keeping the ruble from going into a freefall. But with each passing day our greatest fear was becoming more likely: a collapse in global oil prices. There wasn’t a Vladimir Zhirinovsky who could cause a spike in oil prices by opening his mouth. We needed to diversify our economy before our greatest fear became a reality.
“Mr, President,” I said firmly as dozens of young aids tried to should over each other. “Mr. President, I think we need to address the banking reforms-“
“And what does banking have to do with sports?” growled Prime Minister Svyatoslav Petrushko, President Lebed’s closest aide.
“With all due respect Mr. Petrushko, but as long as I remain a member of this administration than I plan to speak on matters that I feel are pressing. You seem utterly unconcerned with the election in the United States. Polls in the United States indicate that President Bush is trailing Senator Kerry by 31 points. In fact, it appears that President Bush may not even survive the Republican primary. This coupled with the emergence of a unified European currency have the potential of sinking the economy of this country.”
“What about Athens?” President Lebed asked.
“Excuse me?” I replied.
“Athens. The Olympics. As you know, I am hoping that the UIS makes Olympic history next summer. If we win gold in every weight class in boxing we can show the world that our diversity is our greatest strength. We have fighters from every republic, except Armenia, competing. With all this talk of independence from the Armenians and the Azerbaijanis I think this could very much send a message not only to the world, but to our countrymen. We are stronger together.”
I saw Prime Minister Petrushko smirk as I sunk in my chair. President Lebed was not going to discuss matters of finance with me. I was to make sure that the UIS Olympic exceeded expectations. That was it. I tried to hide my disappointment as I discussed the prospects of the UIS sweeping gold. I felt the sudden urge to resign my post. Maybe I could go back to England and live a quiet life of retirement. Maybe I could go back to the movement and help them be a force for liberal change in the UIS.
“You seem disappointed Minister Burbulis?” President Lebed asked, prompting sarcastic chuckles from several members of the cabinet.
“With all due respect Mr. President but if I’m going to have no role other than to be a cheerleader for the UIS Olympic Team then perhaps you should have me replaced.”
“A wonderful idea!” Petrushko replied sarcastically, prompting another round of laughter. However, I could see that President Lebed wasn’t laughing, and seemed almost sympathetic.
“I would hate to see you go Minister Burbulis.” President Lebed said softly. “I do value your input and have…for some time. You are a man of conviction, and that is something I value tremendously. You had the courage to go against the 16-man Committee for State Security and Defense and call me to let me know what was happening in Grozny. You had the courage to return to the UIS and run against Vladimir Zhirinovsky when those that opposed him ended up dead. And you have the courage to stay with this administration knowing that your allies in the reformist movement are calling it nothing short of a betrayal.”
“Mr. President,” I said firmly, “I appreciate the kind words. But if my only role in this administration is to talk about our sports program then I think you can find someone better suited for the position. I have serious concerns about the direction this country is headed and I don’t think these people share my concern about how dire the situation has become.”
“Well perhaps you would like to go work for your old boss?” Petrushko hissed angrily. “I’m not surte if you appreciate this fact, but we are the only thing that is holding the fascists at bay right now! Remember, had it not been for President Lebed, then the Radical People’s Party and Oleg Malyshkin would be running this country!”
“Comrade Petrushko,” I replied sarcastically, “Vladimir Zhirinovsky was just arrested for starting a riot in a strip club. How much longer do you think you can sell him as a threat to the world? If anything he’s become a national embarrassment. John Engler has threatened to bring back sanctions if he’s elected unless we turn him over to The Hague.”
“So you think we should just cower to the threats of this American politician?” Petrushko shot back.
“No,” I replied. “I think we should send him to The Hague because he’s a war criminal. But I think we should do it now, before he gets arrested again inside of another strip club in Sochi. If we wait then sooner or later he will violate the conditions of his house arrest again. And that makes this government look incompetent. Besides, if we wait until John Engler is the Republican nominee it looks like we are cowering to his threats. If we do it now it looks like we are just doing the right thing.”
“His supporters won’t like that,” a young minister said nervously. “We could have protests.”
“Now is the time to act,” I replied, “He was just arrested in a Colombian strip club. Nobody is going to rally to him now. Let’s strike while the iron’s hot.”
I saw President Lebed rub his chin as he considered what I said. I clearly had made some headway as he considered my position.
“Prime Minister Petrushko, do we have any idea how many members of the Oprichniki have returned to the UIS?”
“No Mr. President, but I think the number is somewhat low,” he replied. “I understand many fled to Bulgaria but were not granted visas. Some have gone to Cyprus and some have gone to Liberia. But they are scattered across the planet. Although…”
“What is it Prime Minister?”
“Well, there are a few nations in the Caribbean that allow individuals to purchase citizenship.”
“What do you mean?” I asked incredulously.
”It appears that you can buy citizenship in these nations for an investment of about $50,000 American dollars,” the Prime Minister said with a chuckle. “It seems that over the last few months several high profile members of the Zhirinovsky administration have obtained citizenship overseas through this method. I thought you’d appreciate that.”
“Why would I appreciate that?” I asked.
“Well, these same men who said you were not a true Russian since you had a British passport…they now hold dual citizenship as well. I assumed you would fine their hypocrisy amusing.”
I failed to recognize the olive branch that the Prime Minister was extending at first, but as I smiled I felt the other ministers begin to laugh as well.
“I wonder why there is this rush for dual citizenship in the last few months,” I asked. “Are they expecting a pogrom?”
“Perhaps,” Lebed said softly. “But I suspect the answer may be something even simpler, but much more problematic.”
“What else could they be planning?” I asked.
“Chaos.” Lebed replied.
***
Barbados Today
Radical Russian Nationalist group dominates elections in Dominica; United States threatens intervention
By Samuel Harrison
Monday, December 15, 2003
ROSEAU, DOMINICA, In a development that has rocked the tiny nation of Dominica, a previously unknown political movement scored a stunning upset in last Thursday’s legislative elections. The ruling Dominica Labour Party was expected to easily retain control of the 21-seat House of Assembly after Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit called for elections on November 5th. But in what may go down as the most shocking political upset in Caribbean electoral history, 13 of the 21 seats in the House of Assembly were won by the previously unknown Dominica Liberal Party. Shock spread across the island nation the next day as it soon became clear that almost nothing was known about the new ruling party, other than the fact that all thirteen elected members appeared to attend the same church: the St. Helena Orthodox Church in Marigot. However, shock turned to anger over the weekend as the newly elected MPs emerged from the shadows.
“This man, he run as Lennox David,” Portsmouth resident Andrew Johnston said of his newly elected representative. “But he show up on Saturday and he don’t even speak English. He’s a Russia, but he run as Lennox David!”
It soon became clear that all of the winning candidates had run under assumed names and that most were from the UIS and Yugoslavia.
The Dominica Liberal Party announced in a press release that Bentley Norris of Wesley would most likely be elected Prime Minister. A search of Norris’s voter registration card showed that Norris had moved to Dominica ten months ago and had legally changed his name from Gennady Drobnov to Norris several weeks before announcing his candidacy. Little is known of Drobnov other than he listed Simferopol in the Crimean Peninsula as his prior residence. Prior to 2003 a pro Vladimir Zhirinovsky fascist organization called the Crimean Oprichniki Front was headed by a man named Gennady Drobnov in Simferopol, although it is unknown at this time if it is in fact the same individual.
“This is nothing short of an occupation,” Johnston added. “These people have invaded out country!”
Many citizens of Dominica are equally stunned at the emergence of over 30,000 new voters since the 2000 election. Dominica is one of the few nations in the world where citizenship can be obtained by making a one time contribution of $50,000 into the Government Fund. Although there have been concerns over the lack of transparency in the process, applications are confidential and not subject to review, few people in Dominica criticized the program prior to Thursday’s election. But the tiny nation of 72,000 now finds itself at the center of an international crisis as approximately 30,000 former UIS residence appear to have seized the country. American President George Bush expressed “shock” at the development and indicated that the United States would “never tolerate the reemergence of Russian fascism, regardless of if it springs up in Moscow or in Roseau.” Carnival Cruise Line also announced they were suspending stops in Roseau, citing concerns over the new ruling government’s ties to piracy off the coast of Colombia.
UIS President Alexander Lebed expressed “concern” over the lack of transparency in the Dominican election but called on international leaders to “respect the democratic process.”
PART ONE: THE CLOWN BEFORE THE STORM
***
UIS Presidential Candidate Vladimir Putin in an interview with the BBC on February 2, 2017.
Discussing the early days of the Lebed Presidency.
BBC: Mr. Putin, let’s start by discussing the UIS role in the Second Korean War.
Putin: And what role is that?
BBC: Excuse me?
Putin: What do you think was the UIS role in the Second Korean War?
BBC: I’m not sure I understand the question? Alexander Lebed invaded North Korea. I don’t see how that is even remotely disputed.
Putin: Perhaps there was more to it than meets the eye. Maybe the real purpose of the intervention had nothing to do with North Korea.
BBC (long pause): All right then,. I’ll bite. What was the “real” reason Alexander Lebed almost started a nuclear war?
Putin: Well President Lebed was a very clever man. Perhaps to clever for his own good. He manipulated the world into fearing Vladimir Zhirinovsky while simultaneously manipulating Vladimir Zhirinovsky into pursuing his radical agenda. An agenda that ultimately could be summed up as such: protect the Union at all costs. He thought that Zhirinovsky served his purpose that he would simply become the darling of the West. He thought he would always be seen as the last sane man in the former Soviet Union. The Great Wall of Reason that kept both fascism and communism at bay.
BBC: So what went wrong?
Putin: You need a boogieman like Vladimir Zhirinovsky to be lurking in the shadows if you want the world to see you as the first line of defense…and by 2004 Vladimir Zhirinovsky looked anything like a looming threat. He was an utterly defeated shell of a man. A broken man. A weak man who no longer projected strength or instilled fear. He once was frightening because he was a clown who stumbled into the most powerful office on the planet. By the summer of 2004 he was just a clown…and even worse. He was a drunk clown. But as it turns out, sometimes there is a clown before the storm.
***
Anger mounts as former UIS President Vladimir Zhirinovsky arrested in Sochi strip club
By John Makela, NBC News
January 13, 2004
In an incident that President George Bush called “completely unacceptable” former UIS President Vladimir Zhirinovsky was arrested after he caused a riot and was kicked out of a Colombian strip club in Sochi. It was the second time Zhirinovsky was arrested for violating the terms of his house arrest, prompting protests from Western leaders and human rights activists.
“We are told that Vladimir Zhirinovsky is under house arrest in Sochi pending trial for treason in Moscow,” human rights activist and former Chechen refugee Umar Taimiev said from his office in London. “But it has become increasingly clear that government of the UIS is unwilling to enforce even the most basic provisions of his conditions of release. This is the second time that Chechen refugees like myself who suffered under the genocidal policies of Vladimir Zhirinovsky have been forced to read about his drunken antics in Russia. All the while there is no indication that the Russian government is supervising his house arrest at all.”
In early November Zhirinovsky caused an international incident when he drove his East German1986 Tabant P601 into the living room of a retired schoolteacher named Yulia Popova in Sochi. Popova, who lived several miles from Zhirinovsky’s house, reported to police that Zhirinovsky was intoxicated and that he offered to pay for the damages if she “promised not to tell Lebed.”
Zhirinovsky’s arrest in November caused an international incident, prompting President Lebed to promise that the UIS would “punish those who were derelict in their duties.” However, although Zhirinovsky’s guards were subsequently replaced, last nights incident has raised concerns that the former president’s house arrest remains little more than a sham.
Zhirinovsky was acting as a “celebrity judge” at a Colombian owned strip club called Elba before he caused an incident during one of the dance routines. Zhirinovsky, who was allegedly intoxicated, called on patrons to “grab them by the pussy,” before adding “you can do anything.”
The statement caused several patrons to attempt to physically accost several of the women at Elba, which in turn prompted security to end the competition and physically remove several of the patrons.
“I don’t know who he thinks he is but we run a classy joint here,” manager Epifanio Garza said of the incident with the former president. “There is no place for that sort of behavior in a respectable place like this.”
Garza refused to comment as to why an internationally wanted war criminal was allowed to judge a striptease at his establishment, but did advise that he would be more careful in his selection of celebrity judges for future contests.
***
“A Dream for Tomorrow- By former Russian Prime Minister Gennady Burbulis”
Published by Colorado State University Press, © 2014
CHAPTER ELEVEN
I shifted uncomfortably in my chair as I looked around the table. Most of the faces were new…and young. I was growing increasingly worried about the revolving door of advisors in the Lebed administration. Since taking office at the beginning of the year President Lebed had changed his cabinet twice, and shuffled several of his key advisors including me. I was moved out as Mister of Finance a month after the election when the ruble lost 20% of its value in six weeks. I expected to be sent home, after all, if his goal was to discredit one of his strongest liberal opponents then that was very much accomplished. I knew I had become somewhat unpopular, but he nonetheless asked me to stay on as Minister of Sports. It was a demotion, the UIS Ministry of Sports was literally created that month, and it’s duties were ill defined. But I nonetheless agreed to stay on board. But his initial replacement as Minister of Finance, Mikhail Tyumenev, only lasted three months before he quit…or was fired. The two clashed frequently and by the time he left the cabinet he became one of President Lebed’s harshest critics. He subsequently joined the Yabloko Party, and called on the removal of President Lebed from office. He also was a harsh critic of me, and often called me a turncoat and a traitor to the democratic movement for my partnership with the Liberal Democrats. My own political party, the Democratic Choice of the UIS, had suffered badly and many of its members were abandoning the party en masse. I was concerned, but not entirely surprised. To be honest, I saw a great deal of logic in the move. We had lost the election in 2003 because we, the reformists, had splintered. It was to our benefit to rally around a central figure, and Yabloko head Sergey Mitrokhin was emerging as that central figure. Mitrokhin refused to criticize me harshly, citing my role in the Revolution of 2002 as a major factor in the ousting of Vladimir Zhirinovsky. But he still questioned my decision to work with the Lebed administration and would often “suggest” that I should come back to the fold. It was a tempting offer. Although I respected Lebed’s commitment to free market reforms he was showing signs of authoritarianism. And he seemed to lack the organization for government work, and often seemed preoccupied with military matters. Sometimes he would announce major policy changes and then either forget his proclamation or simply disregard it. It was a troubling trend because it fostered corruption, something I was keenly aware of.
By November of 2003 I knew that there needed to be substantial reform, and soon. The presidency of George Bush was the only thing that kept the UIS economy afloat. Bush’s economic policies had the effect of devaluing the U.S. Dollar, and that was the only thing that was keeping the ruble from going into a freefall. But with each passing day our greatest fear was becoming more likely: a collapse in global oil prices. There wasn’t a Vladimir Zhirinovsky who could cause a spike in oil prices by opening his mouth. We needed to diversify our economy before our greatest fear became a reality.
“Mr, President,” I said firmly as dozens of young aids tried to should over each other. “Mr. President, I think we need to address the banking reforms-“
“And what does banking have to do with sports?” growled Prime Minister Svyatoslav Petrushko, President Lebed’s closest aide.
“With all due respect Mr. Petrushko, but as long as I remain a member of this administration than I plan to speak on matters that I feel are pressing. You seem utterly unconcerned with the election in the United States. Polls in the United States indicate that President Bush is trailing Senator Kerry by 31 points. In fact, it appears that President Bush may not even survive the Republican primary. This coupled with the emergence of a unified European currency have the potential of sinking the economy of this country.”
“What about Athens?” President Lebed asked.
“Excuse me?” I replied.
“Athens. The Olympics. As you know, I am hoping that the UIS makes Olympic history next summer. If we win gold in every weight class in boxing we can show the world that our diversity is our greatest strength. We have fighters from every republic, except Armenia, competing. With all this talk of independence from the Armenians and the Azerbaijanis I think this could very much send a message not only to the world, but to our countrymen. We are stronger together.”
I saw Prime Minister Petrushko smirk as I sunk in my chair. President Lebed was not going to discuss matters of finance with me. I was to make sure that the UIS Olympic exceeded expectations. That was it. I tried to hide my disappointment as I discussed the prospects of the UIS sweeping gold. I felt the sudden urge to resign my post. Maybe I could go back to England and live a quiet life of retirement. Maybe I could go back to the movement and help them be a force for liberal change in the UIS.
“You seem disappointed Minister Burbulis?” President Lebed asked, prompting sarcastic chuckles from several members of the cabinet.
“With all due respect Mr. President but if I’m going to have no role other than to be a cheerleader for the UIS Olympic Team then perhaps you should have me replaced.”
“A wonderful idea!” Petrushko replied sarcastically, prompting another round of laughter. However, I could see that President Lebed wasn’t laughing, and seemed almost sympathetic.
“I would hate to see you go Minister Burbulis.” President Lebed said softly. “I do value your input and have…for some time. You are a man of conviction, and that is something I value tremendously. You had the courage to go against the 16-man Committee for State Security and Defense and call me to let me know what was happening in Grozny. You had the courage to return to the UIS and run against Vladimir Zhirinovsky when those that opposed him ended up dead. And you have the courage to stay with this administration knowing that your allies in the reformist movement are calling it nothing short of a betrayal.”
“Mr. President,” I said firmly, “I appreciate the kind words. But if my only role in this administration is to talk about our sports program then I think you can find someone better suited for the position. I have serious concerns about the direction this country is headed and I don’t think these people share my concern about how dire the situation has become.”
“Well perhaps you would like to go work for your old boss?” Petrushko hissed angrily. “I’m not surte if you appreciate this fact, but we are the only thing that is holding the fascists at bay right now! Remember, had it not been for President Lebed, then the Radical People’s Party and Oleg Malyshkin would be running this country!”
“Comrade Petrushko,” I replied sarcastically, “Vladimir Zhirinovsky was just arrested for starting a riot in a strip club. How much longer do you think you can sell him as a threat to the world? If anything he’s become a national embarrassment. John Engler has threatened to bring back sanctions if he’s elected unless we turn him over to The Hague.”
“So you think we should just cower to the threats of this American politician?” Petrushko shot back.
“No,” I replied. “I think we should send him to The Hague because he’s a war criminal. But I think we should do it now, before he gets arrested again inside of another strip club in Sochi. If we wait then sooner or later he will violate the conditions of his house arrest again. And that makes this government look incompetent. Besides, if we wait until John Engler is the Republican nominee it looks like we are cowering to his threats. If we do it now it looks like we are just doing the right thing.”
“His supporters won’t like that,” a young minister said nervously. “We could have protests.”
“Now is the time to act,” I replied, “He was just arrested in a Colombian strip club. Nobody is going to rally to him now. Let’s strike while the iron’s hot.”
I saw President Lebed rub his chin as he considered what I said. I clearly had made some headway as he considered my position.
“Prime Minister Petrushko, do we have any idea how many members of the Oprichniki have returned to the UIS?”
“No Mr. President, but I think the number is somewhat low,” he replied. “I understand many fled to Bulgaria but were not granted visas. Some have gone to Cyprus and some have gone to Liberia. But they are scattered across the planet. Although…”
“What is it Prime Minister?”
“Well, there are a few nations in the Caribbean that allow individuals to purchase citizenship.”
“What do you mean?” I asked incredulously.
”It appears that you can buy citizenship in these nations for an investment of about $50,000 American dollars,” the Prime Minister said with a chuckle. “It seems that over the last few months several high profile members of the Zhirinovsky administration have obtained citizenship overseas through this method. I thought you’d appreciate that.”
“Why would I appreciate that?” I asked.
“Well, these same men who said you were not a true Russian since you had a British passport…they now hold dual citizenship as well. I assumed you would fine their hypocrisy amusing.”
I failed to recognize the olive branch that the Prime Minister was extending at first, but as I smiled I felt the other ministers begin to laugh as well.
“I wonder why there is this rush for dual citizenship in the last few months,” I asked. “Are they expecting a pogrom?”
“Perhaps,” Lebed said softly. “But I suspect the answer may be something even simpler, but much more problematic.”
“What else could they be planning?” I asked.
“Chaos.” Lebed replied.
***
Barbados Today
Radical Russian Nationalist group dominates elections in Dominica; United States threatens intervention
By Samuel Harrison
Monday, December 15, 2003
ROSEAU, DOMINICA, In a development that has rocked the tiny nation of Dominica, a previously unknown political movement scored a stunning upset in last Thursday’s legislative elections. The ruling Dominica Labour Party was expected to easily retain control of the 21-seat House of Assembly after Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit called for elections on November 5th. But in what may go down as the most shocking political upset in Caribbean electoral history, 13 of the 21 seats in the House of Assembly were won by the previously unknown Dominica Liberal Party. Shock spread across the island nation the next day as it soon became clear that almost nothing was known about the new ruling party, other than the fact that all thirteen elected members appeared to attend the same church: the St. Helena Orthodox Church in Marigot. However, shock turned to anger over the weekend as the newly elected MPs emerged from the shadows.
“This man, he run as Lennox David,” Portsmouth resident Andrew Johnston said of his newly elected representative. “But he show up on Saturday and he don’t even speak English. He’s a Russia, but he run as Lennox David!”
It soon became clear that all of the winning candidates had run under assumed names and that most were from the UIS and Yugoslavia.
The Dominica Liberal Party announced in a press release that Bentley Norris of Wesley would most likely be elected Prime Minister. A search of Norris’s voter registration card showed that Norris had moved to Dominica ten months ago and had legally changed his name from Gennady Drobnov to Norris several weeks before announcing his candidacy. Little is known of Drobnov other than he listed Simferopol in the Crimean Peninsula as his prior residence. Prior to 2003 a pro Vladimir Zhirinovsky fascist organization called the Crimean Oprichniki Front was headed by a man named Gennady Drobnov in Simferopol, although it is unknown at this time if it is in fact the same individual.
“This is nothing short of an occupation,” Johnston added. “These people have invaded out country!”
Many citizens of Dominica are equally stunned at the emergence of over 30,000 new voters since the 2000 election. Dominica is one of the few nations in the world where citizenship can be obtained by making a one time contribution of $50,000 into the Government Fund. Although there have been concerns over the lack of transparency in the process, applications are confidential and not subject to review, few people in Dominica criticized the program prior to Thursday’s election. But the tiny nation of 72,000 now finds itself at the center of an international crisis as approximately 30,000 former UIS residence appear to have seized the country. American President George Bush expressed “shock” at the development and indicated that the United States would “never tolerate the reemergence of Russian fascism, regardless of if it springs up in Moscow or in Roseau.” Carnival Cruise Line also announced they were suspending stops in Roseau, citing concerns over the new ruling government’s ties to piracy off the coast of Colombia.
UIS President Alexander Lebed expressed “concern” over the lack of transparency in the Dominican election but called on international leaders to “respect the democratic process.”
Bookmark1995
Banned
Glad your back.
The new motto for Dominica should be, "Zhirinovsky's summer retreat: beaches and Kalishnikovs".
It appears that Lebed's flaws go beyond his Hobbesian worldview: as a military guy, he's more interested in shows of strength, not really sitting down with an economist and hammering out economic ideas. This maybe why he leads the UIS into another missile crisis: because he wants Mother Russia to look strong.
The new motto for Dominica should be, "Zhirinovsky's summer retreat: beaches and Kalishnikovs".
It appears that Lebed's flaws go beyond his Hobbesian worldview: as a military guy, he's more interested in shows of strength, not really sitting down with an economist and hammering out economic ideas. This maybe why he leads the UIS into another missile crisis: because he wants Mother Russia to look strong.
Accurateworldwar
Banned
Welcome back!
Also, "grab 'em by the pussy". Heh.
Speaking of which, I wonder what happens to Donald Trump in this TL. He still ran for President in 2000, I see, but what happens afterward for him?
Also, "grab 'em by the pussy". Heh.
Speaking of which, I wonder what happens to Donald Trump in this TL. He still ran for President in 2000, I see, but what happens afterward for him?
Bookmark1995
Banned
Probably continued his business career, in spite of all the bankruptcies.
But since the ITTL Republican Party is more open to women and minorities (J.C. Watts, Elizabeth Dole) his race-baiting may not work as well, or it may be more opposed by party members.
Somehow it seems fitting to have Zhirinovsky being more blatant with "grabbing pussies" than Trump was considering the former's nature ITTL (and IOTL to an extent).
But anyway, I'm quite baffled as to having an ethnically different group taking power in Dominica of all places; like have there been Russians in Dominica for a while or so?
But anyway, I'm quite baffled as to having an ethnically different group taking power in Dominica of all places; like have there been Russians in Dominica for a while or so?
Well he didn't officially run in 2000 in TTL, just like he chose not to run in OTL 2000. So I suppose anything is possible. But I think where in this TL the Reform Party was sort of a home for the anti-immigration wing of both the Republican and Democratic Party we will most likely see the Reform Party fade out after their dismal performance in the 2000 election. Which means that we might see some surprising developments in the 2004 election in TTL.
Well, it may not be quite as crazy as it sounds. A few days ago it was reported that the Pacific Island nation of Kiribati was seriously considering allowing a Russian investor reestablish the Russian monarchy in their nation:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/201...sman-seeks-restore-tsarist-empire-overthrown/
Russian businessman seeks to restore Tsarist empire overthrown in 1917 on Pacific atoll
1 Comment
Kiribati faces an uncertain future due to rising sea levels CREDIT: ALAMY
- Jonathan Pearlman, sydney
ARussian monarchist is seeking to buy three uninhabited islands in the remote Pacific nation of Kiribati to restore the Romanov empire and create an “alternative Russia”.
Anton Bakov, a businessman and former Russian MP, is visiting the tiny nation this week after he was invited there to discuss his plan to purchase or lease three southern islands.
He has proposed creating the capital of the new Russian nation on Malden Island, an empty coral atoll in the south Pacific, where he says he plans to invest £280 million on resorts.
Anton Bakov CREDIT: BAKOV.RU
An ardent monarchist, Bakov wants Prince Karl Emich of Leiningen, a 64-year-old German noble who is apparently a great-great-grandson of the nineteenth-century Russian emperor Alexander II, to accede to the throne and restore the Russian monarchy, which was overthrown during the 1917 Bolshevik revolution.
Visiting Kiribati with his wife, who acted as an interpreter, Mr Bakov said the idea for the restoration had the backing of a large number of Russians who were dissatisfied with Russian president Vladimir Putin.
A typical House in Kiribati CREDIT: ALAMY
“This is the desire not only of the heir of the Russian throne but also a great number of Russian patriots who are not happy with Putin’s regime and would like to have their revival of Romanov’s empire visible – as an alternative Russia,” he told Radio New Zealand.
Mr Bakov, founder of Russia’s monarchist party, has previously made attempts to restore the monarchy in the Cook Islands, a south Pacific country which is in free association with New Zealand, and in Montenegro.
But the latest proposal is being seriously considered by authorities in Kiribati, a series of 33 coral atolls which is roughly halfway between Hawaii and Australia.
The low-lying nation faces an uncertain future due to rising sea levels and has been seeking fresh sources of income, as well as potential places of refuge for some of its 107,000 citizens whose homes and livelihoods are under threat.
Kiribati’s government said its foreign investment commission was considering Mr Bakov’s proposal.
Teburoro Tito, a former Kiribati president, said the plan could bring much-needed investment and turn the nation into a remote island tourist attraction akin to the Maldives.
"Assuming the things they're saying are true, then I would like to see it happen,” he said.
Christmas Island in the Republic of Kiribati CREDIT:KATSUMI KASAHARA
“If they can do it, without any cost on us, except from the land which we can host them, then I don't see any fuss at this stage."
But others have questioned the motives behind the unusual plan to set up a remote outpost of the old Russian empire on three isolated atolls.
Some have suggested Mr Bakov was hoping to create a tax haven.
Sitiveni Halapua, an academic based in Tonga, said the plan was “scary” and “very strange indeed”.
"I can understand the government of Kiribati trying to do its best to raise as much resources as they can to deal with their own problems including climate change, but one has to remember that sometimes you think this is the solution to your problems and it turns out to make the problems worse," he told Radio New Zealand.
Now what is interesting is that this guy has proposed $350,000,000 for the project. Remember, Dominica is a nation that allows capital investment for citizenship, a policy that has been exploited in OTL by numerous individuals, the majority being millionaires seeking a tax shelter. In OTL it takes a capital investment of $100,000:
https://www.isla-offshore.com/services/citizenship-dominica/
And that amount was around $75,000 several years ago. In this TL it costs $50,000 and assuming the former ruling party had embezzled $350,000,000 (again, same amount the government of Kiribati is being offered), or assuming there is an eccentric billionaire in this TL, or assuming Lebed needs to create a crisis to reestablish Zhirinovsky's supporters as a legitimate threat...well then this is hardly out of the question. After all, in the last Election in Dominica in 2014 the ruling DLP party won with 23,208 total votes. In total there were 41,195 votes cast in the election.
http://www.caribbeanelections.com/dm/elections/dm_results_2014.asp
If we had the exact same scenario in TTL that we had in OTL regarding this Kiribati proposal (basically a 350 million dollar investment) then the UIS would now have 7,000 registered voters in Dominica. One third of the vote total of the winning party. And if we were to add them to the total voter numbers then that would be 14% of the total number of voters in the nation. Assuming there is graft (and knowing Zhirinovsky that is almost a certainty) then it isn't unthinkable to imagine a corrupt official allowing allowing the Russians to exploit this system even more by allowing individuals into the country without making the capital investment (perhaps we see the Russian individual giving a smaller down payment and a promissory note instead of the $50,000 investment. The official pockets the down payment and records the promissory note as a cash investment).
And keep in mind, there are many Russians who became rich under Zhirinovsky who are also looking for a legitimate tax shelter for their ill gotten wealth. The prospect of being arrested for corruption by Lebed is real, and so there are going to be many Russians who are probably legitimately looking for someway to protect themselves and protect their money in the event of a purge or in the event of a anti-corruption campaign in the UIS that targets members of the previous administration.
Bookmark1995
Banned
A Russian trying to create a monarchy in the Pacific?
@Pellegrino ,you've created a world in which an Indian republic is formed in the Middle East, but OTL can be even stranger than what you can cook up.
Hey konrad-
Sure thing, feel free to PM me with any questions. But just be warned in advance, it may take awhile for me to respond at times. I'm sort of in an out in with this site between this and the real world stuff that keeps me pretty busy.
This Economist article from 1999 indicates that Lebed made a better general than governor. According to the article his rule was disorganized and although he surrounded himself with a younger cabinet there were views that these advisors were a detriment to his administration due to their preference of going to Moscow every chance they could get (the province was in Siberia). Also Lebed was a vocal admirer of Chile's Pinochet and I think his economic policies would have been equally disastrous if he attempted to replicate them in Moscow.
http://www.economist.com/node/182325
Bookmark1995
Banned
So why does TTL Lebed want to be president, since he would probably be better off (and happier) as a military guy? Personal enrichment, or a genuine desire to bring order to Eurasia, or both?
