In an interview with the business daily Kommersant, Andrei Illarionov accused the Kremlin of double standards in articulating and enacting economic policy which he said were threatening Russia's democratic development.

This split was evident "when liberal slogans are pronounced, and in reality protectionism is cherished, when allegiance is pledged to liberalism and democracy and in fact super-monopolies and empires are created," he said.

Illarionov, Putin's economic adviser who is known for his outspoken liberal market views, said political and economic changes unfolding in Russia today could jeopardize gains of the past 15 years.

He was referring to methodical moves by the central government over the past 18 months to seize greater control over many facets of the country's economy and political discourse.

Those moves have been highlighted by the ongoing state assault on oil giant Yukos and by recent Putin proposals to tighten the Kremlin's political grip on the country in the wake of deadly attacks earlier this autumn.

"The most dangerous thing is a climate of fear which did not exist even a few years ago and which is the greatest threat to the country's development," Illarionov told the newspaper.

Illarionov, a strong opponent of the Kyoto treaty on global warming, recently lost a Kremlin battle over whether Russia should ratify that pact, and in the interview he did not try to quash speculation that he may quit his post.

He cited in particular unhappiness over what he said was a crackdown on freedom of the press and general political expression.

A number of socio-political taboos have recently emerged in Russia and the mere mention of them creates "pathological reactions" from authorities, he said, adding that "a country paralysed by fear is a doomed country."

In the economic sphere, he said, state takeovers of strategic companies, particularly in the energy sector, were likely to lead to an economic stagnation that could last for decades.

The state in past years has tightened its grip on Russia's huge energy companies and placed Kremlin men at the helm of at least two of them, giants Gazprom and Rosneft.

"The risk of a return to a planned (economy) really exists," Illarionov said.

"More serious than that is the risk of a strengthening of regulation," he said, denouncing "non-economic decisions in the name of the state" aimed solely at protecting "the interests of people in power."

All rights reserved. � 2004 Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.

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