A popular jazz musician joins United Russia's Supreme Council.
On Saturday United Russia held its 11th congress in St Petersburg. Long before the congress the participants learned about the documents that would be included in the agenda: Putin's Plan, Strategy-2020 and Dmitry Medvedev's key article "Go, Russia!"
At the press conference preceding the congress Boris Gryzlov declared: "The conservative party is seeking ways of modernization and this should not surprise anyone." President of the Economic Policy Fund Gleb Pavlovsky interpreted "conservative modernization" as follows: "Let us not be hypocrites. If the country needs modernization, it is in a bad shape. Vladimir Putin's old political strategy is over."
Opening the congress, President Medvedev quoted his address to the Federal Assembly. After praising the party members for their efforts to counter the crisis, he emphasized that "the party should always be up to date, not to fall behind the times and its own voters."
"Regrettably, some of the regional affiliates of United Russia, as well as other parties, are not doing well in this respect," he admitted.
Medvedev pointed out the backwardness of some of them and said that their political activities have been brought down to the level of intrigues and games. "Elections that are designed to express the will of the nation and to reflect a competition of ideas and programmes sometimes allow administrative procedures to dilute the democratic process. Those who allow this to happen should be dismissed from the party. We need to break bad political habits," Medvedev said.
The president urged United Russia members to compete in an open and transparent manner. He suggested that they should take part in debates and primaries, but at the same time he made the reservation that this was for the party to decide. Alexander Kogan, Duma deputy from United Russia and vice chairman of the Committee on Budget and Taxes confirmed to Novaya Gazeta that United Russia is ready to introduce primaries in the near future. "They will be established beginning on January 1, along with a policy of recalling party candidates," he specified.
Prime Minister Putin's speech was markedly different from that of President Medvedev. Medvedev talked about switching focus from stabilisation to modernisation, whereas Putin emphasized the need to stabilize the macro-economy and reduce inflation. He said that the government would establish a special agency to insure foreign trade contracts. Putin did not specify whether this agency would be similar to state corporations, the expediency of which was questioned by the president. As for the party's policy, Putin merely recommended that its members take part in "the overhaul of the Russian bureaucracy."
Duma Speaker Gryzlov drew on ideas from both the president and the prime minister. "United Russia should not become the party of bureaucrats appointed by the elite," he said raising the tone of voice. His speech rose to a poetic tone. "Year in and year out the Communist Party suggests only one slogan: ‘expropriate and divide.' Few people are deluded by the Liberal Democratic Party's loud but hollow speeches," he said to the applause of the audience. He did not forget about the second ruling party, a Just Russia: "We would welcome the formation of a modern social-democratic party in Russia but it is still too early to speak about this."
Gryzlov said that this main document should determine the party's policy for the next 10 years. United Russia's new programme was called "Russian Open Conservatism."
The congress ended with the unanimous approval of the new party programme and personnel changes in its Supreme Council. The following members left the council: Governor of the Jewish Autonomous Region Nikolai Volkov, former Ingush President and Presidential Adviser Murat Zyazikov, Advisor to the President of Russian Railways and former anchor of the First Channel Alexandra Buratayeva. Head of the Duma Committee on Labour and Social Policy Andrei Isayev, St Petersburg Governor Valentina Matviyenko, film director Fyodor Bondarchyuk and popular saxophone player Igor Butman joined the council.
After the congress, the deputies discussed the main document with journalists. It was expected to be based on the president's article "Go, Russia!" However, the programme consisted of a set of recommendations for the development of different industries. The 28-page document does not set forth a uniform strategy.
Lola Tagayeva