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3 Nov, 2007 04:54

Media Mirror – Russia's weekend press reviewed

Upcoming Russia’s State Duma elections and Agro inflation – a new economic illness that’s going to stay – are the main issues in focus of Russian weeklies.

“Bread is the Tsar on the Table.” This saying is acquiring a more literal meaning for less fortunate families in Russia with prices of certain kinds of everyday food having jumped. The prices of butter, vegetable oil, cheese, meat products were fixed by the government last week. OGONYOK writes, the price tags on some food products have risen by 15 – 20%, others – by 8 to 12%. For many people these products are now out of reach. The weekly says, families with different levels of income are going to take a different approach to the problem, but all will have to rethink their monthly spending.

It’s not just Russia, it’s a global trend, says the weekly. Millions of people in China, India and smaller emerging economies every year reach the lower margin of middle class income. The first thing they do, is improve their diet. So the demand for good quality food in the world is getting higher. The supply falls back and the prices go up. Globalization adds to the process immensely.

Experts say, this new trend is going to stay with us forever. In the XXI Century Humankind will have to forget about food getting cheaper, as it has been the case so far. The weekly says food is going to win back its place as a big proportion of the family budget. That is going to change the life styles of millions around the world. That is going to effect politics as well.

ITOGIreminds that there are just five weeks left to the election in Russia. The Head of the Central Electoral Commission, Vladimir Churov, says: “according to a recent public opinion poll, 11% of the electorate are suspicious of electoral procedures. It comes mainly from a lack of knowledge about them. The same poll shows that only 1% actually witnessed breaches of electoral law. We will try our best to overcome the skepticism. We even made a TV documentary explaining and showing the procedures in detail.”

MOSCOVSKIE NOVOSTI says, despite the fact that the outcome of the election was hugely effected by Vladimir Putin’s name appearing on the list of United Russia, there’s still some intrigue left: for Fair Russia experts predict anything from becoming the second biggest parliamentary faction to not passing the 7% barrier.

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