#6 - JRL 7189
Vremya Novostei
May 20, 2003
GLAZIEV WILL LEAD THE PATRIOTIC FORCES
The forces in question do not object, but establishment of the coalition takes much too long
Author: Natalia Rozhkova, Kseniya Veretennikova
[from WPS Monitoring Agency, www.wps.ru/e_index.html]

SERGEI GLAZIEV, CO-CHAIRMAN OF THE PEOPLE'S PATRIOTIC UNION AND DUMA MEMBER, IS BECOMING ONE OF THE OUTSTANDING LEADERS ON THE LEFT. A CONFERENCE OF PATRIOTIC FORCES HELD IN MOSCOW YESTERDAY CHOSE GLAZIEV AS LEADER OF THE WORKING GROUP WHICH WILL PRODUCE AN ANTI-CRISIS PROGRAM.

Leftist and patriotic forces plan a coalition for the elections

Sergei Glaziev, co-chairman of the People's Patriotic Union and Duma member (Communist faction), is becoming one of the outstanding leaders on the left. A conference of patriotic forces held in Moscow yesterday chose Glaziev as leader of the working group which will produce an anti-crisis program. The program will become a basis for unifying the patriotic forces into a single coalition for the upcoming elections.

It may be added that Gennadi Zyuganov, "Number One Patriot" and communist leader, was absent from the conference. Glaziev opened the meeting in his stead, and urged those present to form a left-wing coalition as soon as possible.

Boris Kashin of the Presidium of the CPRF Central Committee was enthusiastic about the idea. "Russian society is not approaching the elections in its best state, and the regime cannot offer a solution," he said. "This situation is playing into our hands."

Leonid Ivashov, Chairman of the Military Power Union, cited ROMIR polls as showing that almost 22% of respondents support communist and socialist ideas, while 59% share patriotic values of a strong and powerful state. Ivashov assumed that two coalitions - communist and patriotic - might participate in the parliamentary election. The latter will place emphasis on defending Russia, which faces challenges to its national security "from the West, East, and South," Ivashov said. Patriots took an instant dislike to the idea of two coalitions, and the decision was made to form one coalition only. The program will be worked out at regular meetings of Glaziev's group. The first ideas on unification and consolidations are expected by June.

Observers do not expect any discord over the ideological part of the program. "Any discord concerns only the form of unification," Glaziev told this correspondent. "Some people in the People's Patriotic Union believe that it should be a bloc, because different political structures in a bloc are equal. But Zyuganov advocates an electoral alliance under the aegis of the Communist Party."

Glaziev himself also wants it to be a bloc, since "this would make it clear to voters that we have indeed united." When asked whether he intends to head the patriotic association, Glaziev admitted no personal ambitions on that score. According to Glaziev, he may head the Communist Party's electoral list for Siberia.

All the same, another option is possible as well. "Establishment of a second column friendly to the Communist Party is possible," Eurasia Party leader Alexander Dugin said. "It would run for parliament independently but support the same idea in the Duma. It may result in a sensation. Elderly radical voters could stick to Zyuganov, while the young would support Glaziev because he personifies a more rational opposition. This is not a split of the Communist Party; it is modernization."

P.S. THE RUSSIA'S RENAISSANCE PARTY, HEADED BY DUMA SPEAKER GENNADI SELEZNEV, AND THE SOCIALIST UNITED PARTY HEADED BY ALEXEI PODBEREZKIN ARE NEGOTIATING ON COOPERATION IN THE UPCOMING PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS. THESE PARTIES WILL PROBABLY FORM A BLOC. THE ADVISABILITY OF SUCH A DECISION IS BEING DISCUSSED NOW. ON THE OTHER HAND, A BLOC IS NOT THE ONLY POSSIBLE SOLUTION. "WE WILL DEFINE THE FORM OF OUR COOPERATION WITHIN A MONTH OR TWO," PODBEREZKIN SAID. "WE DO NOT HAVE ANY AMBITIONS THAT IT SHOULD BE A BLOC AND ONLY A BLOC. IN FACT, BLOCS INVOLVE ADDITIONAL ORGANIZATIONAL PROBLEMS..."

SELEZNEV'S AND POBEREZKIN'S PARTIES ARE WRITING A COMMON POLICY PROGRAM AT PRESENT. THE PLAN A ROUNDTABLE CONFERENCE IN JUNE, WHERE A FORECAST OF GLOBAL TRENDS IN RUSSIA AND IN THE WORLD UNTIL 2020 WILL BE PRESENTED.

SOURCES IN THE RUSSIA'S RENAISSANCE PARTY CONFIRM THE FACT OF NEGOTIATIONS AND COMMON INTENTIONS WITH THE SOCIALIST UNITED PARTY. THE RUSSIA'S RENAISSANCE PARTY VIEWS OTHER CENTER LEFT PARTIES, LIKE THE EURASIAN PARTY AND PARTY OF WORKERS' SELF-RULE, AS POTENTIAL ALLIES.