United Russia branch in Siberia to present a dazzling array of large-scale projects to Vladimir Putin.
The interregional conference of United Russia branches in the Siberian Federal District (SFD) to be held on March 29-30 under Vladimir Putin's chairmanship will be the spring political highlight in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. It's focal point will be to consider the draft Strategy for Social and Economic Development of Siberia in 2010-2011. The opposition and the expert community do not expect the conference to deliver a breakthrough, but think the main beneficiary will be Krasnoyarsk Governor Lev Kuznetsov.
Every region in the SFD will offer for discussion a set of five economic and five social initiatives. The necessary corrections will be introduced by the workshops and then by the plenary meeting in which Vladimir Putin will take part. The result will be the interregional Programme for the Development of Siberia in 2010-2011, supported by funding out of the federal and regional targeted programmes.
The local branch of United Russia is working hard to prepare the event. Over the weekend they held a conference to select 11 projects to be presented to Putin. According to the head of the regional government, Edham Akbulatov, projects in the fields of industry and innovation, agriculture, the social sphere, sports and culture have been selected. "We have at least three programmes that distinguish us from the other regions," says Krasnoyarsk Territory senator Vyacheslav Novikov. "First, the Siberian Federal University. The second idea is the Sports Academy based on the facilities that already exist in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, and the third project is the creation of a small inter-regional aircraft. All these projects are being worked out as part of public-private partnerships, and the prospects are good."
Experts believe that the conference will help Governor Lev Kuznetsov build up connections. United Russia has a tradition of trying out new formats in Krasnoyarsk. "In 2005, the city hosted the first party congress to be held outside Moscow, and now it will be the venue of the first of eight district conferences," says political scientist Sergey Komaritsyn. "This is a very useful event for Lev Kuznetsov because the whole federal party elite and the heads of Siberian regions will converge on the banks of the Yenisei. The Krasnoyarsk Governor would be eager to put his best foot forward because it would greatly increase his clout if he is successful."
Even members of the opposition welcome the upcoming event. "I do not expect the conference to come up with any concrete results," deputy of the Legislative Assembly, Oleg Pashchenko of the Just Russia Party, told Nezavisimaya Gazeta. "A development strategy for Siberia is a good thing, but although a lot of such strategies have been adopted, the eastern part of the country is still a backyard of the empire. However, the fact that Krasnoyarsk and not some other place will host an event that is politically important for Putin bodes well for our territory. Our governor is into the second month of his term and such visits are important for him."
Alexander Chernyavsky
