RUSSSIA: Pro-Kremlin United Russia faces a strong challenge in the Vladimir region - the only place in the country with a Communist governor
Record ID:
346463
RUSSSIA: Pro-Kremlin United Russia faces a strong challenge in the Vladimir region - the only place in the country with a Communist governor
- Title: RUSSSIA: Pro-Kremlin United Russia faces a strong challenge in the Vladimir region - the only place in the country with a Communist governor
- Date: 2nd December 2011
- Summary: VLADIMIR, RUSSIA (NOVEMBER 30, 2011) (REUTERS) VARIOUS VIEWS OF VLADIMIR PEOPLE WALKING ON STREET / UNITED RUSSIA'S ELECTION POSTER ON HOUSE FEATURING RUSSIAN PRESIDENT DMITRY MEDVEDEV AND PRIME MINISTER VLADIMIR PUTIN WOMAN GIVING OUT NEWSPAPER OF LIBERAL-DEMOCRATIC PARTY (LDPR) RUSSIAN COMMUNIST PARTY (KPRF) ELECTION POSTER ON BUILDING RUSSIAN NOBEL PRIZE WINNER AND DEPUTY FROM KPRF ZHORES ALFEROV MEETING STUDENTS AND TEACHERS OF VLADIMIR UNIVERSITY PEOPLE LISTENING TO ALFEROV (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN NOBEL PRIZE WINNER AND DEPUTY FROM KPRF, ZHORES ALFEROV, SAYING: "From my point of view, the KPRF is the only faction in the State Duma which really supports science and education. Your faithful servant (me) does not belong to any party but I have joined this faction." PEOPLE LISTENING TO ALFEROV (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN NOBEL PRIZE WINNER AND DEPUTY FROM KPRF ZHORES ALFEROV, SAYING: "It (KPRF faction at the Duma) can do very little. I can give numerous examples, including my amendments ( to the legislation) which have been proposed but then rejected, because the State Duma adopts only bills proposed by the government and automatically rubber-stamped by United Russia." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE PASSING BY BENCH WITH SIGN READING "KPRF - REAL OPPOSITION" ALEXANDER SINYAGIN, HEAD OF KPRF BRANCH IN VLADIMIR REGION, TALKING ON PHONE IN OFFICE PORTRAIT OF KPRF LEADER GENNADY ZYUGANOV ON WALL (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) HEAD OF KPRF BRANCH IN VLADIMIR REGION, ALEXANDER SINYAGIN, SAYING: "With each year the (election) campaign gets dirtier and dirtier and this campaign is not an exception. Every day the regional election commission meets at 7 pm, for some reasons they switched to a night regime and meet at 7 or 9 pm, and at these meetings they say that they plan to open additional polling stations at the markets, military garrisons, military schools." VARIOUS OF VLADIMIR MAYOR SERGEI SAKHAROV, MEMBER OF UNITED RUSSIA PARTY, CAMPAIGNING, MEETING RESIDENTS WOMAN ADDRESSING SAKHAROV SAKHAROV LISTENING UNITED RUSSIA LOGO ON WALL (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) VLADIMIR MAYOR AND UNITED RUSSIA MEMBER, SERGEI SAKHAROV, SAYING: "For United Russia it is always hard to act on the political battlefield in Vladimir. Why? It is very simple - the head of the region, its governor, is a communist and all his entourage is also pro-communist and we find ourselves in opposition to the current governor." UNITED RUSSIA CAMPAIGN TENT AND ACTIVISTS ON STREET UNITED RUSSIAN FLAGS CAMPAIGN POSTER FOR JUST RUSSIA PARTY VARIOUS OF LYUDMILA ESHANU, MEMBER OF NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATION 'GOLOS' WHICH MONITORS ELECTION CAMPAIGN AND ELECTION PROCESS, IN OFFICE (SOUNDBITE) (Russia) MEMBER OF NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATION 'GOLOS' WHICH MONITORS ELECTION, LYUDMILA ESHANU, SAYING: "I think all this (opening of additional polling stations at markets, enterprises, universities) is being done in the interests of one party, because all heads of enterprises and heads of municipalities are members of this party, because they found locations for these polling stations, they proposed them to the district (election) commissions which are dependent on the local authorities and then they proposed it to the regional (election ) commission which is also biased. So what chaos and disorder will be happening at these stations - I can't even imagine." PEOPLE ON STREET (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) PENSIONER FROM VLADIMIR, ANNA, SAYING: "KPRF only, I have always voted for them and I always will." (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) VLADIMIR RESIDENT, VIKTOR VLADIMIROV, SAYING: "Just Russia, "just" is in its name!" (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) VLADIMIR RESIDENT, NADEZHDA GVOZDEVA, SAYING: "For United Russia, because I trust them and I love my president." (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) PENSIONER FROM VLADIMIR, KLAVDIA TSYPLYAYEVA, SAYING: "I haven't decided yet which party (to vote for) but I will go and vote." VLADIMIR VIEWS
- Embargoed: 17th December 2011 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Russian Federation
- Country: Russia
- Topics: Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA53WVBQ06BQGFORWVG7I459RX6
- Story Text: Pro-Kremlin United Russia party is facing a strong challenge in Vladimir region, the only one in Russia which still has a Communist governor. Vladimir, an ancient Russian town 160 kilometers east of Moscow, is a scene of fierce battle between KPRF (Communist Party of the Russian Federation) and United Russia. Both accuse each other of dirty campaigning and misuse of administrative powers.
Sunday's parliamentary election is the first electoral test since the powerful prime minister upset some Russians by announcing plans to swap jobs with President Dimity Medvedev next year, possibly extending his rule until 2024.
United Russia posters featuring Russian PM Vladimir Putin and President Dmitry Medvedev dominate Vladimir streets exhorting "Together We Will Win", with only one large KPRF poster and few by the Just Russia party.
KPRF, which traditionally enjoys strong support among older voters, targets young generation of Vladimir in its campaign. Russian Nobel prize winner and Duma KPRF faction member, Zhores Alferov met with students and teachers of the local university on Thursday.
"From my point of view KPRF is the only faction in the State Duma which really supports science and education.
Your faithful servant does not belong to any party but I have joined this faction," said Alferov, one of the most prominent Russian physicists.
"It (KPRF faction at the Duma) can do very little. I can give numerous examples, including my amendments ( to the legislation) which have been proposed but then rejected, because the State Duma adopts only bills proposed by the government and automatically rubber-stamped by the United Russia," he said.
The latest survey by Russia's biggest independent pollster said United Russia would win 252-253 places in the 450-seat Duma, down from the 315 places it has now. The biggest gainers would be the Communist Party, which is likely to remain the second biggest force 20 years after the fall of the Soviet Union, although critics say it and other parties in parliament form only a token opposition.
Alexander Sinyagin, the of Vladimir regional branch of the Communist party, accuses his main rival - United Russia - of using dirty tricks to secure its parliamentary majority.
"With each year the (election) campaign gets dirtier and dirtier and this campaign is not an exception. Every day the regional election commission meets at 7pm, for some reasons they switched to a night regime and meet at 7 or 9 pm, and at these meetings they tell that they plan to open additional polling stations at the markets, military garrisons, military schools," said Sinyagin, sitting in the office decorated with portraits of Vladimir Lenin and Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov.
United Russia opponents say that additional polling stations created at factories, garrisons and universities open doors to an election fraud because factories administration, military units' commanders and heads of universities can pressure workers, soldiers and students.
Vladimir mayor and United Russia member Sergei Sakharov, who campaigns day and night on behalf of his party, in his turn accuses local Communists in using administrative powers during election campaign.
"For United Russia it is always hard to act on the political battlefield in Vladimir. Why?It is very simple - the head of the region, its governor is a communist and all his entourage is also pro-communist and we find ourselves in the opposition to the current governor," said Sakharov at the party's headquarters in central Vladimir.
Opinion polls show Vladimir Putin, the former KGB spy, whose crushing of a rebellion in the Chechnya region helped build the image of a strong leader, remains Russia's most popular politician.
But they also show his popularity, further enhanced over the years by stunts such as bare-chested horse riding, hit its lowest point in a decade last month before rising again. His United Russia party, though winning the poll, seemed likely to lose the two-thirds majority that eases constitutional changes.
Lyudmila Eshanu, a member of the local branch of the NGO "Golos" which monitors the election campaign, says that United Russia violates election law as it desperately tries to keep its majority.
"I think all this (opening of additional polling stations at markets, enterprises, universities) is being done in the interests of one party, because all heads of enterprises and heads of municipalities are members of this party, because they found locations for these polling stations, they proposed them to the district (election) commissions which are dependent on the local authorities and then they proposed it to the regional (election ) commission which is also biased. So what chaos and disorder will be happening at these stations - I can't even imagine," said Eshanu.
Unlike many Russians who show little interest in elections and politics because they fear fraud, Vladimir residents are not passive and take sides in the ongoing political fight.
"KPRF only, I have always voted for them and I always will," said a pensioner Anna.
Viktor Vladimirov who works at the local children's hospital will vote for the Just Russia party: "Just Russia, "just" is in its name!",
"For the United Russia, because I trust them and I love my president,"said Natalya Gvozdeva.
But some, like Klavdiya Tsiplyayeva, are still not sure:
"I haven't decided yet which party (to vote for) but I will go and vote."
But whatever the vote results will be, the main centre of power in the country of 142 million is the executive, so losing ground in the Duma will do little more in practice than at times limit the ability of the government and Kremlin to push through major legal changes. But a less than stellar showing by United Russia would reinforce the impression that Russians are starting to tire of Putin and his party. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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