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Washington-Russian opposition figure Garry Kasparov in a magazine interview called on US President George W Bush to ramp up criticism of Vladimir Putin or risk the Russian president "putting the nails in the coffin of democracy".The former world chess champion Kasparov excoriated Putin in the March issue of Playboy for a series of abuses of democracy by Moscow, including a suspected rigging of what he described as a "meaningless" March 2 election to replace Putin."The opposition-from the left and the right-can never really challenge the regime through elections,"Kasparov said in the interview seen by AFP."Putin is putting the nails in the coffin of democracy,"he added."If we don't stop them we can have a funeral for Russian democracy. They have been killing it for seven years, slowly poisoning it."Kasparov said Bush has helped Putin, a former Soviet KGB officer, run roughshod over human rights and democracy by failing to step forward with criticism of his Russian counterpart." Putin is immune (from criticism) unless he hears a firm reaction from the top man,"Kasparov said."He doesn't care about clerks, even (US Secretary of State) Condoleezza Rice. Only a message from the top counts."But the US president "says nothing about most of the assaults on democracy in Russia," lamented Kasparov, who himself contemplated a run for the Russian presidency before abandoning it December in the face of harassment and ostracism."He says nothing to Putin and continues to do business with him."The former chess champion, who entered politics in 2005, recalled a 2001 encounter in which Bush said he looked Putin "in the eyes" and saw someone he could rely on."Putin looked into Bush's eyes as well.He saw he could push Bush's limits...He pushes, and Bush does nothing,"Kasparov concluded.As in the days of Noah....
