Moscow Municipal Lawmakers Demand Putin's Resignation

Municipal deputies in the Moscow district of Lomonosovsky, picture at a meeting on September 9, say Putin's aggressive rhetoric has thrown Russia back into the Cold War era.

Municipal deputies in the Moscow district of Lomonosovsky have appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin to resign, saying "everything went wrong" since the start of his second term and they believe a change of power is necessary for the sake of the country.

The deputies posted their protocol decision on the Lomonosovsky district's website, including a 30-minute video of their meeting on September 8.

In their appeal, the deputies emphasize that the aggressive rhetoric of Putin and his subordinates has thrown Russia back into the Cold War era. They disputed economic data showing a doubling of the country's GDP and said the minimum wage did not increase to the level declared by the government.

They also said smart and hard-working people have left Russia en masse, and there is no trace of the promised stability.

Addressing Putin directly, they said: "Your views, your management model are hopelessly outdated and impede the development of Russia and its human potential."

The deputies also appealed to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, saying that the system of local self-government does not actually work in Moscow, and dual power has developed at the district level, which hinders any initiatives of local residents and their representatives.

A similar protest earlier this week by local lawmakers in St. Petersburg resulted in authorities summoning them to the police department.

Seven lawmakers demanded parliament's lower chamber, the State Duma, charge Putin with high treason over his decision to launch his unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

The seven lawmakers from St. Petersburg's Smolny municipal district received subpoenas on September 8, ordering them to come to the police the next day to fill out protocols on a charge of discrediting Russia's armed forces.