Russian President Says Right Cause May Succeed In Next State Duma Election
Skolkovo (Moscow Region), 18 May: Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev believes that the Right Cause party's presence in the State Duma would boost the representation of right-wing, conservative circles, and will be generally beneficial for the parliament.
It became known on Monday (16 May) that the businessman Mikhail Prokhorov was willing to become head of the Right Cause, (and that) he had sent his proposals to the party leaders. The Right Cause is not currently represented in the State Duma but intends to change that in the upcoming parliamentary election. Prokhorov said that the Right Cause was capable of becoming the second largest party in the State Duma.
"It seems to me that our political sector can only benefit if it increases its size, if, in addition to those who help express left-wing views, those who represent left-wing view in the State Duma, and to the centrist parties, representatives of right-wing, conservative circles make their appearance after all. Our parliament will then be more representative. And this is the most important thing," Medvedev said when answering journalists' questions on the sidelines following his "big" news conference.
Asked whether the Right Cause had a chance to be elected to the State Duma in the parliamentary election in December, the head of state said: "It seems to me that they have their voters, and if they consolidate the right way, they could be successful".
"Very much, of course, will depend on how well they work as a team, and how popular the ideas they put forward prove. Popular - among those who can potentially support the Right Cause," the president believes.
He noted that Prokhorov's statement to the effect that the Right Cause could come second in the election was "absolutely in accordance with the laws of the genre". "One cannot image a political force that says that it intends to come last, that they have come together and will work for that," the head of state commented. "He (Prokhorov) could not say anything other than that he would aim for one of the medal places. We shall see. I believe that the people who uphold conservative, right-wing values should be represented in state government bodies, including the State Duma," Medvedev said.
He repeated that, in his view, "it is not a hopeless enterprise".
"Because their have their own electorate. Whether they can excite it properly and prove by their example that they will represent well the interests of these people - they are representatives of business, representatives of management, representatives of some free professions - this is what the success of the programme which the Right Cause or its successor puts forward will depend on," the president believes.
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