In the two years preceding the presidential election, Vladimir Putin's party will hold eight mini-congresses in various regions of the country.
In the two years before the federal elections, United Russia will be holding party conferences instead of party congresses. They will take place in the capitals of all the eight federal districts. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who is the leader of United Russia, introduced this initiative. He will be the main character in these events. President Dmitry Medvedev is not expected to attend. NG has learned that the first conference will take place in Krasnoyarsk in late March. Experts stress that the new format will enable Putin to gather support in advance of the parliamentary and, most importantly, presidential elections.
In the past two years, the prime minister has regularly used the party congresses to make policy statements. In effect, he delivered a message to the country's elites and citizens every year, in a familiar format since the beginning of his presidency. Yet, it's true that each time he had to share the congress head table with Dmitry Medvedev. Now, Putin, individually, will be able to address the masses every three months. In the two years before the parliamentary and presidential elections, the prime minister will travel the length and breadth of the country to answer questions and hear the wishes of the people in all the Russian regions.
Postponing the next congress until the autumn of 2011, when the Duma election campaign will begin, does not violate United Russia's charter, Secretary of the Presidium of the UR General Council Vyacheslav Volodin assured NG. The charter states that party congresses are held once every two years. It is another matter that over its nine-year history the party has not complied with this rule.
It held its congresses 13 times in a row. In 2008, United Russia held two congresses, in May and in November. Volodin explained that the party forums were called so frequently in order to re-elect its governing bodies. In May 2008, United Russia created two posts: the party chairman and the head of the Supreme Council, both posts previously held by Boris Gryzlov. Now Vladimir Putin is the party's leader while Gryzlov remains the head of the Supreme Council. By the autumn of that year, the term of the party's General Council expired and by the autumn of 2009, the term of the Supreme Council expired. Now that the problems of re-electing party leadership have been solved, the party can afford a break. The wide gap between United Russia congresses will be filled by party conferences which will be held in all eight federal districts. Four conferences will take place in 2010 and four in 2011. Vladimir Putin is expected to be the main character at these party forums. The new format will enable him to combine the functions of the prime minister and the party leader. Volodin explained that the conferences will be devoted above all to the social and economic development and modernisation of the regions. They will discuss not long-term plans - until 2020 or 2030 - but development programmes for the next two years. A source close to the Kremlin said that in this way United Russia hopes to unite party activists. Party cells in the regions are disjointed.
Not many will be privileged to be delegates to the party conferences. Out of the two million party members, 3,000 at most will have the honour of taking part in the congress. As a rule, those attending are the heads of regions, secretaries of the local political councils, and representatives of the financial-industrial groups. This situation does not please the party leader, Vladimir Putin. He invariably calls on the central party leadership to be closer to the rank-and-file party members. Party conferences presumably will involve a greater number of ordinary members and sympathisers. And they will allow Putin to be closer to the party members. NG has found out that the first party conference will be held in late March through early April in Krasnoyarsk, the capital of the Siberian Federal District. The city is a frequent venue of major economic forums. In a sense, the format will be the same. However, a source in the party said that several formats for the new party event are being considered.
Deputy director of the Social Systems Institute, Dmitry Badovsky, explained to NG that the idea was initially connected with the government's work: "It was important for the government to build up enthusiasm for the economic development of the regions. Later, a political element was added because Putin is a political figure and he has his personal image." "The programme will last two years, ending on the eve of the elections, so it is logical to use it for electoral purposes. We have a good and novel format that enables Putin to score points before the presidential elections," Badovsky believes.
Elina Bilevskaya