MOSCOW – In a country where exposing shady practices can be risky, Russian attorney Alexander Navalny is taking a stand.

Among his exploits: Navalny flew to a shareholder meeting of Russia‘s third-largest oil company, Surgutneftegaz, renowned for its murky shareholder structure, in the Western Siberia. The unsuspecting board gave him the floor right after the CEO.

Navalny stood up and asked a simple question: “Who owns Surgutneftegaz?”

The room fell silent. After a few moments, a small group of shareholders in back began clapping.

The company’s CEO told Navalny that he did not know since he owns less than 2 percent in Surgutneftegaz and therefore has no access to the shareholder register.

It’s the kind of brushoff he gets all the time, but his refusal to stop asking has made him Russia’s most public advocate for the rights of minority shareholders. The companies that dominate Russia’s economy are owned by the state or billionaire oligarchs who are often less than open about what they’re doing with the company’s assets and money. Minority shareholders are often left wondering if the company is being managed in their interest or someone else’s.

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KHARTOUM (AFP) –
The US special envoy for Sudan met opposition leaders in Khartoum on Thursday in a bid to save April’s elections, threatened by the pullout of President Omar al-Beshir’s main challenger and an opposition boycott.

Scott Gration, who flew in on Wednesday according to diplomatic sources, met separately with Umma party members, Islamist leader Hassan al-Turabi and Democratic Unionist Party head Mohammed Osman al-Mirghani.

The envoy, who made no comment to reporters after his initial contacts, was expected to hold marathon negotiations in the Sudanese capital on the elections and on the fate of the war-torn region of Darfur in western Sudan.

The mission comes a day after presidential hopeful Yassir Arman pulled out of April 11-13 vote for fear of fraud, casting doubt on the electoral process and clearing the way for a likely first-round win by Beshir.

“The Americans came to see if they can save the (electoral) process because they want a fair and more credible election,” said Mubarak al-Fadil, Umma’s presidential candidate, after talks with the US envoy.

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