Maturity of Democracy?

Two distinct politicians have recently commented on the maturity of democracy in their respective countries.

Sam Rainsy (Opposition party leader of Cambodia) was quoted in KI-Media as saying, “We greeted each other among us Cambodians, among people who are responsible to the nation. This shows that democracy in our country has reached a maturity level where we can talk to each other.”

Vladimir Putin (President of Russia) was cited in the New York Times as saying to the effect that "the election signified that the nation was maturing as a democracy."

Both Cambodia and Russia are countries that can be considered as "authoritarian democracies." And yet, there is more of a sense of optimism in such expressions from an opposition leader than from a government leader himself. Oh, I can't help but resonate with the similarities of political situations in the two countries!