Political Opposition in Russia: Is it Becoming Extinct

This article uses Russian experience to examine several issues concerning the relationship of electoral procedures, democratization, and liberalization. The author's interpretation of certain aspects of the political process in contemporary Russia does not coincide with the opinions of other researchers, including some published in our journal. L. Diamond raised a similar set of predominantly theoretical issues in "Is the 'Third Wave' of Democratization Over?" Polis, 1999, no. 1].