#17 - JRL 7009
Kommersant - Vlast
No. 49
[translation from RIA Novosti for personal use only]
PARTIES IN RUSSIA
(REGISTERED WITH THE JUSTICE MINISTRY OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION)
Leaders
According to the currently valid version of the law "On Elections of State Duma Deputies," the parties intending to fight for Duma seats had to be registered with the justice ministry by December 14, 2002. A new wording of this law, which has been adopted by the State Duma and will take effect in the near future, lifts this restriction: the parties are to be registered before the date of elections is set, i.e., by next September. Nevertheless, the main players which will set the tone to the election campaign are already known. Among the leaders are political organisations which managed to overcome the five percent barrier in the last State Duma elections on December 19, 1999, and to set up their own faction in the Duma. The resources they have today give them a good chance to win seats in the parliament once again.
All-Russian Unity and Fatherland - United Russia party. Registered on December 18, 2001. 19,579 members.
Chairman of the General Council - Alexander Bespalov. The party has branches in all 89 constituent federation members.
The party was set up in 2001 through a merger of the Unity, Fatherland and All Russia movements. In 1999, the Unity movement and the Fatherland-All Russia (OVR) bloc netted a total of 36.65 percent of the vote (Unity - 23.32 percent, and OVR - 13.33 percent). The Unity faction in the Duma numbers 82 deputies, and the OVR faction - 52 deputies. At the end of this November, the party's rating (according to the polls conducted by the Public Opinion foundation and the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center) was at the level of 22-29 percent.
Communist Party of the Russian Federation (KPRF). Registered on March 6, 2002. 19,013 members. Central Committee chairman - Gennady Zyuganov. 80 regional branches.
The party was set up in February 1993. In the first Duma elections, the communists received 12.4 percent, in the 1995 elections - 22.3 percent, and in the 1999 elections - 24.29 percent of the vote. The KPRF faction in the Duma numbers 82 deputies. The party's rating is 22-27 percent.
Union of Right Forces (SPS) party. Registered on March 12 , 2002. 14,647 members. Chairman of the Federal Political Council - Boris Nemtsov. 61 regional branches.
In 1993, one of the SPS predecessors, the Russia's Choice party led by Yegor Gaidar, netted 15.51 percent of the vote. However, in 1995, the Russia's Democratic Choice party with the same leader received only 3.86 percent of the vote. In 1999, the SPS was supported by 8.52 percent of the electorate. The SPS faction in the Duma unites 33 deputies. The party's rating is 4 to 10 percent.
Liberal-Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR). Registered on April 4, 2002. 19,098 members. LDPR chairman - Vladimir Zhirinovsky. 55 regional branches.
The party reached the peak of its success in 1993 netting 22.9 percent of the vote. In 1995, liberal-democrats received 11.18 percent of the vote. In 1999, the party took part in the elections as the Zhirinovsky bloc netting 5.98 percent of the vote (the Central Election Commission struck the LDPR off the list of parties eligible for election).
The LDPR faction in the Duma numbers 13 deputies. The party's rating is 7-5 percent.
Yabloko Russian Democratic Party. Registered on April 25, 2002. 12,183 members. Chairman - Grigory Yavlinsky. 54 regional branches.
The Yavlinsky-Boldyrev-Lukin (Yabloko) bloc set up for the 1993 elections netted 7.86 percent of the vote. In 1995, the Yabloko association netted 6.89 percent, and in 1999 - 5.93 percent of the vote. The Yabloko faction in the Duma numbers 17 deputies. The party's rating is 5-9 percent.
Runners
The runners' category unites organisations which took part in the elections and netted over 1 percent of the vote, or have sufficient resources to achieve such a result in the forthcoming elections.
People's Party of the Russian Federation. Registered on October 30, 2001. 39, 293 members. Chairman - Gennady Raikov (State Duma deputy, leader of the People's Deputy group). 65 regional branches. The party was set up in September 2001 on the basis of the People's Deputy group made up of single-mandate deputies (54 deputies). The first of the registered parties the data on which, as declared for registration, have been checked by the justice ministry).
Agrarian Party of Russia. Registered on May 31, 2002. 41,477 members. Chairman - Mikhail Lapshin. 55 branches.
In 1993, the party netted 7.99 percent, and in 1995 - only 3.78 percent of the vote. In 1999, the party took part in the Duma elections jointly with the OVR bloc.
Democratic Party of Russia. Registered on November 30, 2001. 12,086 members. Chairman - Mikhail Prusak, governor of the Novgorod region. One of the oldest parties of the post-Soviet Russia set up in 1990. In 1993, the party netted 5.5 percent of the vote, after which declined to take part in the elections.
Russian Pensioners' Party. Registered on May 15, 2002. 18, 415 members. Chairman - Sergei Atroshenko. 53 regional branches.
The party was set up in 1997. In 1999, it netted 1.95 percent of the vote.
Russian Communist Workers' Party - Russian Party of Communists. Registered on August 28, 2002. 14,056 members. Central Committee secretaries - Anatoly Kryuchkov and Victor Tyulkin.
The party was set up in 1991. In 1995, netted 4.53 percent of the vote forming one bloc with the Russian Party of Communists.
In 1999, the Russia's Communists and Working People - for the Soviet Union bloc, of which the Russian Communist Workers' Party formed the basis, netted 2.22 percent of the vote.
Outsiders
The political forces which took part in the Duma elections but failed to receive any noticeable support from the electorate are referred to outsiders.
Conservative Party of Russia. Registered on December 25, 2001. 10,630 members. Leader - Lev Ubozhko. 51 regional branches. The party received 0.13 percent of the vote in 1999.
Russian Political Party of Peace and Unity. Registered on December 25, 2001. Chairwoman - Sazhi Umalatova. 49 regional branches. In 1999, the party received 0.37 percent of the vote.
Russian Working People's Self-Government Party. Registered on April 25, 2002. 13,996 members. Chairman - Levon Chakhmakhchyan. 55 regional branches. In 1999, the bloc of Gen. Andrei Nikolayev and Acad. Svyatoslav Fyodorov (the latter led the Working People's Self-Government Party at that time) received 0.56 percent of the vote.
"The Greens" Russian Ecological Party. Registered on May 27, 2002. 13,195 members. Chairman of the Central Council's presidium - Anatoly Panfilov. In 1995, the Kedr (Cedar) Ecological Party, on the basis of which the Greens party was formed, received 1.39 percent of the vote. The party didn't take part in the 1999 elections.
Narodnaya Volya Party of National Revival. Registered on July 17, 2002. 10,728 members. Chairman - Sergei Baburin. The party was established on the basis of the Russian National Union which received 0.37 percent of the vote in 1999.
Republican Party of Russia. Registered on August 12, 2002. 10,728 members. Co-chairmen - Boris Fyodorov and Vladimir Lysenko. The party was founded in 1990. It took part in the 1993 elections within the Yabloko bloc, and in the 1995 election - independently (1.6 percent of the vote).
Dukhovnoye naslediye (Spiritual Heritage) Socialist United Party of Russia. Registered on August 19, 2002. 11,363 members. General secretary - Alexei Podberezkin. In 1999, the Dukhovnoye naslediye movement received 0.1 percent of the vote.
Working Russia's Communists party. Registered on August 8, 2002. Chairman - Victor Anpilov. He was the leader of the Working Russia movement, who headed the Stalinist Bloc - for the USSR movement in 1999 (netted 0.61 percent of the vote).
Debutants
New parties which have not yet taken part in any elections are referred to as debutants.
National Patrioric Forces of the Russian Federation party. Registered on December 28, 2001. 11,038 members. General secretary - Shmidt Dzoblayev. 45 regional branches.
Development of Entrepreneurship party. Registered on February 26, 2002. 10,771 members. Chairman - Ivan Grachev, an independent State Duma deputy. 50 regional branches.
Russian Party of Peace. Registered on March 12, 2002. 12,701 members. Leader - Iosif Kobzon, State Duma deputy, member of the Regions of Russia deputy group.
Soyuz National Russian Political Party. Registered on April 19, 2002. 10,894 members. Central Committee chairman - Alexander Pronin. 47 regional branches.
Russian Party of Labour. Registered on April 25, 2002. 10,759 members. Federal Council Chairman - Sergei Khramov.
Russian Party of Stability. Registered on April 25, 2002. 11,780 members. Chairman - Vladimir Sokolov.
Social-Democratic Party of Russia. Registered on May 22, 2002. 12,671 members. Leader - Mikhail Gorbachev.
Freedom and People's Power party. Registered on June 10, 2002. 12,007 members. Chairman - Victor Cherepkov, an independent State Duma deputy.
Eurasia Party. Registered on June 21, 2002. 10,794 members. Chairman - Alexander Dugin.
People's Patriotic Party of Russia. Registered on September 9, 2002. 11,272 members. Chairman - Igor Rodionov.
"Sozidaniye" Russian Political Party. Registered on September 13, 2002. 10,167 members. Supreme Council head - Mikhail Moiseyev.
Russian Party of Life. Registered on September 9, 2002. 11,642 members. Seven co-chairmen.
National Great-Power Party of Russia. Registered on September 16, 2002. 13,105 members. Co-chairmen - Boris Mironov, Alexander Sevastyanov and Stanislav Terekhov.
Russian Network Party of Support for Small- and Medium-Sized Businesses. Registered on September 20, 2002. 11,464 members. Chairman - Alexander Ryavkin.
Yedineniye (Unity) Conceptual Party. Registered on September 24, 2002. 10,632 members. Chairman - Konstantin Petrov.
Russian Citizens' Party. Registered on September 24, 2002. 11,500 members. Five co-chairmen.
People's Republican Party of Russia. Registered on September 24, 2002. 11,373 members. Chairman - Vladimir Kushnerenko.
Russia's Renaissance Party. Registered on September 29, 2002. 20,282 members. Leader - Gennady Seleznev, State Duma speaker, expelled from the KPRF. The party was founded in September 2002 as a political wing of the Russia movement.
Internationalist Russia party. Registered on October 9, 2002. 11,756 members. Chairman - Omar Begov.
Russian United Industrial Party. Registered on October 9, 2002. 11,167 members. Chairwoman - Yelena Panina.
Russia's Patriots Union Eurasian Party. Registered on October 9, 2002. 14,522 members. Chairman - Abdul-Vakhed Niyazov, an independent State Duma deputy.
Za Rus Svyatuyu (For Holy Russia) All-Russian Political Party. Registered on October 15, 2002. 12,399 members. Chairman - Sergei Popov.
Liberal Russia party. Registered on October 22, 2002. 11,889 members. Co-chairmen - Sergei Yushenkov, Viktor Pokhmelkin (independent State Duma deputies who left the SPS faction), and Boris Zolotukhin. The party was founded in December 2001 by activists of the SPS movement who did not want to get integrated into the Union of Right Forces party.
Party of Social Justice. Registered on October 22, 2002. 14,941 members. Seven co-chairmen.
Russia's True Patriots party. Registered on October 25, 2002. 12,632 members. Chairman - Zaur Radzhabov.
All-Russian Great-Power Party. Registered on October 25, 2002. 11,029 members. Chairman - Alexander Chuyev, State Duma deputy from the Unity faction.
Civil Party of Russia. Registered on November 10, 2002. 10,327 members. Chairman - Damir Serazhetdinov.
Constitutional-Democratic Party of the Russian Federation. Registered on December 8, 2002. 10,286 members.
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