In the opposition

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May 16, 2008 Alexander Ryklin

On May 17, in Moscow it will take place (let's say - I would like to hope that it will take place) the national assembly. About seven hundred delegates from most regions of Russia will come to it (if they succeed). The composition of the participants was formed as follows: some of the delegates were chosen on the primaries that the “other Russia” spent in the summer last summer - these are mainly representatives of the OGF prohibited by the NBP, “Yabloko”, the ATP, the RDS and a number of other public and human rights organizations. Another part-left and national patriots-received quotas from the organizing committee. It is expected that some members of the Just Russia party will also take part in the Assembly. Regardless of party affiliation, all delegates will have to sign a charter , which has been published and sent to participants in the event some time ago. Those who refused to sign a charter will not be allowed to the hall of meetings. The delegate, who put his signature under this document, automatically becomes a deputy of the National Assembly.

In recent days, after the publication of the lists of participants, my email literally breaks from links to various dubious (and sometimes quite monstrous) statements of some defendants in this list. The pathos of my acquaintances that reproach me of moral and ideological illegibility, comes down to about the following: and you will discuss something there with this person!? But how is it possible to be with him in the same hall!? He ...

Honestly, the first comments that appeared in my post office and questions caused me a condition close to rabies. “As far as you need to be mentally lazy people,” I boiled inwardly, “in order not to take the work of reading documents carefully, try to figure out details and nuances, ask finally substantial questions?” Yes, and we went through all this two years ago, when they created "another Russia." Then, too, a huge part of our politicized public grabbed her head and asked with wide open eyes: “Do you create a coalition with the“ Limonovites ”? Are you crazy or what? They are you ... they are us ... and indeed, how can you lower the moral bar like this? ” Well, etc.

And here again ... Well, let's go in the second circle. About the moral bar, by the way, the question is correct. For example, I would have pleasure today asked Elvira Nabiullina, with whom I have known for many years and to whom I have a sincere sympathy, how does she feel now in the company of people who know exactly that they stole half the country, and at the same time, so that it was more careful to steal, destroyed democracy and all famous civil freedoms? Ah, yes, how I forgot! The theory of small affairs ... We will democratize the police state from the inside ... And our children will be democratized from the inside ... at the cost of their own moral comfort, despite the oblique views of decent people ...

Well, okay - back to the national assembly. It seems to me that there are only two issues that she should discuss and, ideally, decide: how to dismantle the ruling regime and lead the country to free elections. In other words, we are talking about the restoration of the ruined political space, the normal competitive environment, the independence of the media, etc. Therefore, it is important to understand: the national assembly is by no means a political coalition and, accordingly, formulates ideological doctrines or its original vision of the future of our country. It is, of course, different. Assembly is a technical body in its pure form, which puts in front of itself non -trivial, but, nevertheless, exceptionally applied tasks. The only thing that unites very different people who gather in one hall is a common sense of responsibility for their country, an understanding of the need for democratic transformations and a willingness to sacrifice many in order to achieve the declared goals. And these goals, I repeat, are limited by the above agenda of the day.