The Communist Party has made demands for the Rossiya TV Channel to give KPRF leader Gennady Zyuganov half of the airtimeallocated to the programme "Conversation with Vladimir Putin", in any format possible. In a query directed to the director-general of Rossiya, Anton Zlatopolsky, Vadim Solovyov, a State Duma deputy, clarified that the programme, which was broadcast for more than three hours by the state-owned channel, featured Vladimir Putin both as the head of the United Russia Party and as the prime minister. Mr Solovyov reminded Mr Zlatopolsky that the Constitution and the Law On Political Parties envisages "ideological pluralism and equality of all the parties" and "ban their discrimination, including for political reasons". "Since the channel covered about 50% of Vladimir Putin's speech as the leader of the United Russia, I urge you to consider the possibility of granting equal airtime to Gennady Zyuganov," the request reads in part. Vadim Solovyov stresses that in the context of the economic crisis people "would be interested to know what the leading opposition party thinks about it."
Maria-Luiza Tirmaste