Moskovsky Komsomolets: "Bears coming to Moscow"
The United Russia conference starts Friday in Moscow.
On Tuesday, the secretary of the party's General Council Presidium, Sergei Neverov, and Chairman of is Central Executive Committee Andrei Vorobyev spoke about the conference.
United Russia members or Bears as they call themselves have long promised to make this pre-election event unprecedented. Some 10,000 will take part in the conconference. They represent not only United Russia but also the public organisations that have joined the Popular Front. The Bears always hold impressive conferences and this one promises to be no exception.
The conference will take place on September 23 and 24. The first session will be held at Gostiny Dvor and the second at Luzhniki Sports Complex. On the first days, 1,300 delegates will discuss the regional implications of the party's People's Programme.
The Bears have already held eight interregional meetings under the watchful eye of their leader Vladimir Putin. The meetings took place in each federal district and were devoted, among other things, to specific regional projects that are supervised by United Russia. These projects will make up the regional section of the party's programme and there will be further proposals from the regions. Sergei Neverov, secretary of the Presidium of the party's General Council said there are tens of thousands of proposals. The main topics include the struggle against corruption, general social policy, the new economy and lower utility rates. Andrei Vorobyev, head of the party's Central Executive Committee said that "Putin is expected to attend some discussions."
On September 24 the party will review the lists of candidates for the Duma. It was reported earlier that United Russia intends to have 600 people on its election list, including 250 from the Popular Front and non-party people. The Bureau of the party's Supreme Council and the Presidium of its General Council will finalise the list at their joint session on September 24. Neverov said the public would find out on the 24th whether Putin will head the Bear's list at the Duma elections. He said United Russia is also ready to see President Dmitry Medvedev on the list, if he wants to. On the second day of the conference, the delegates will listen to speeches by Medvedev and Putin.
The Bears are expected to reshuffle the party's General Council and the Central Executive Committee. Supreme Council Chairman Boris Gryzlov said this is "routine practice."
A national media forum will take place on September 25, after the United Russia conference, under the aegis of the Popular Front. Foreign, federal and regional journalists will meet a number of newsmakers, including Russian government members, among them Igor Shuvalov, Alexander Zhukov, Vyacheslav Volodin, Viktor Zubkov, Dmitry Kozak, Sergei Shoigu and Yury Trutnev, to name a few.
United Russia events are expected to be given record coverage. The number of accredited journalists has already surpassed 1,300. About 30 foreign delegations will attend the conference.
Oleg Bykov
