MOSCOW, May 7 (UPI) -- Non-governmental groups in Russia said they are anxious to see if incoming President Dmitry Medvedev honors his word to respect their role in civil society.

Non-governmental organizations play a critical role in post-Soviet Russia acting as a watchdog on the government. Under former President Vladimir Putin, however, the number of such groups dropped by more than half, The Chicago Tribune said Wednesday.

Putin presided over the passage of a law two years ago that permits authorities to close NGOs if they pose a threat to Russia's "sovereignty, political independence, territorial integrity, unity, cultural heritage or national interests."

Medvedev called the roll of NGOs in civil society "indispensable," but some groups worry the nationalist legacy of Putin will carry through into the next administration.

"(Russia) wants to be as strong as it can be, and this is only possible if civil society is unable to exercise any control over bureaucrats and to learn the truth about what's going on in government," said Lyudmila Alekseyeva, chairwoman of the human-rights organization the Moscow Helsinki Group.