Putin 1996

However regrettable, and however frightening perhaps it sounds, in my opinion in our country a turn towards totalitarianism for some period of time is possible. But the danger needs to be looked for or the danger needs to be seen, not in the law enforcement agencies not in the security services, in the police force or even in the army This danger is in the mentality of ourselves, in the mentality of our people of our population, in our own mentality. It seems to us all, and I won't deny it, it also sometimes seems to me, that if we bring in the hard order of a firm hand then all of us will start to live better, more comfortably and more safely. In actual fact that comfort will pass very quickly, because that firm hand will very quickly start to strangle us and we and our family members will instantaneously start to feel that ourselves. Only in the conditions of a democratic system when the officers of law enforcement agencies, whatever we might call them, KGB, Ministry of Internal Affairs, NKVD, whatever when they know, that tomorrow, or in a year, there may come a change in political leadership in the country, in a region or city, and they will be asked: "And how have you been implementing the laws of the country you live in?" and "What have you done for the citizens, in whose affairs you wield authority?"