Die Neue Zeit
7th May 2011, 23:50
Just goes to show the problems of Stalin's "popular front" idea:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/russias-putin-proposes-new-popular-front-to-take-heat-off-his-party-ahead-of-elections/2011/05/06/AF1Sxb8F_story.html
MOSCOW — Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has proposed creating a “broad popular front” ahead of Russia’s parliamentary election, in an apparent attempt to counter growing public discontent with his political party and solidify support.
Putin’s United Russia has a majority in Russia’s parliament and is the dominant party in regional legislatures and governor’s offices across the country. Polls, however, show its support declining as Russians increasingly associate the party with a corrupt bureaucracy.
Russia holds a parliamentary election in December that will set the scene for a presidential vote three months later in 2012. Putin, who stepped down as president in 2008 after serving two terms, has not said whether he will run, but his actions increasingly signal that he intends to reclaim the presidency.
Speaking Friday before hundreds of party members in the southern city of Volgograd, Putin said the new front should include not only United Russia but also other political parties, trade unions, women’s organizations, youth groups and veterans’ associations.
http://www.kyivpost.com/news/russia/detail/103835/
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's idea of setting up a nationwide popular front before the parliamentary elections could be supported by the party A Just Russia and the Liberal Democratic Party, and the idea itself could signal Putin's presidential ambitions, said Mark Urnov, the dean of the applied political science department at the Higher School of Economics.
"This is one of the indicators that he has not abandoned the presidency idea," Urnov told Interfax on Friday.
At the same time, "I am not sure that he already has a firm decision," he said.
Putin said at a United Russia party inter-regional conference in Volgograd on Friday that all people "wishing to make Russia stronger" should consolidate into a nationwide popular front, which could include United Russia itself and "some other political parties, trade union organizations, women's, youth, and veteran organizations, including those comprising WWII and the Afghan War veterans."
Urnov suggested in this connection that, apart from United Russia, "Putin's initiative is also addressed to A Just Russia and the LDPR [Liberal-Democratic Party]."
"But what is the most important is that this is addressed to the voters: don't vote against" United Russia, which is led by Putin, Urnov said.
The idea of setting up a popular front "kills all forms of competition and protest," he said.
"A Just Russia has nothing to do. If this party supports Putin's initiative, [Federation Council Chairman and A Just Russia leader Sergei] Mironov might possibly retain his position. Why should he be dislodged then? The LDPR will speak in support for setting up a broad popular front. We are returning to the idea of 'the unbreakable bloc of the Communists and the nonpartisan ones'," Urnov said.
The Communist Party, however, is unlikely to back Putin's idea, Urnov said. "The Communist Party wouldn't want to lose face," he said.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/russias-putin-proposes-new-popular-front-to-take-heat-off-his-party-ahead-of-elections/2011/05/06/AF1Sxb8F_story.html
MOSCOW — Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has proposed creating a “broad popular front” ahead of Russia’s parliamentary election, in an apparent attempt to counter growing public discontent with his political party and solidify support.
Putin’s United Russia has a majority in Russia’s parliament and is the dominant party in regional legislatures and governor’s offices across the country. Polls, however, show its support declining as Russians increasingly associate the party with a corrupt bureaucracy.
Russia holds a parliamentary election in December that will set the scene for a presidential vote three months later in 2012. Putin, who stepped down as president in 2008 after serving two terms, has not said whether he will run, but his actions increasingly signal that he intends to reclaim the presidency.
Speaking Friday before hundreds of party members in the southern city of Volgograd, Putin said the new front should include not only United Russia but also other political parties, trade unions, women’s organizations, youth groups and veterans’ associations.
http://www.kyivpost.com/news/russia/detail/103835/
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's idea of setting up a nationwide popular front before the parliamentary elections could be supported by the party A Just Russia and the Liberal Democratic Party, and the idea itself could signal Putin's presidential ambitions, said Mark Urnov, the dean of the applied political science department at the Higher School of Economics.
"This is one of the indicators that he has not abandoned the presidency idea," Urnov told Interfax on Friday.
At the same time, "I am not sure that he already has a firm decision," he said.
Putin said at a United Russia party inter-regional conference in Volgograd on Friday that all people "wishing to make Russia stronger" should consolidate into a nationwide popular front, which could include United Russia itself and "some other political parties, trade union organizations, women's, youth, and veteran organizations, including those comprising WWII and the Afghan War veterans."
Urnov suggested in this connection that, apart from United Russia, "Putin's initiative is also addressed to A Just Russia and the LDPR [Liberal-Democratic Party]."
"But what is the most important is that this is addressed to the voters: don't vote against" United Russia, which is led by Putin, Urnov said.
The idea of setting up a popular front "kills all forms of competition and protest," he said.
"A Just Russia has nothing to do. If this party supports Putin's initiative, [Federation Council Chairman and A Just Russia leader Sergei] Mironov might possibly retain his position. Why should he be dislodged then? The LDPR will speak in support for setting up a broad popular front. We are returning to the idea of 'the unbreakable bloc of the Communists and the nonpartisan ones'," Urnov said.
The Communist Party, however, is unlikely to back Putin's idea, Urnov said. "The Communist Party wouldn't want to lose face," he said.