Presidential candidate Irina Khakamada is planning to create a new party after the elections, which may be called "Free Russia". Politicians from the right-wing democratic camp and experts are skeptical about the prospects of this venture not only as a long-term project, but also as an election ploy.

During a pre-election trip to Perm on March 5, presidential candidate Irina Khakamada announced her intention to create a new opposition democratic party after the elections. "I will create a party with new people, without laying claim to leadership... [the party] will include all living things that exist in the regions," she said, but did not name a single comrade in the "party of the future." And at yesterday's press conference at Interfax, Khakamada announced the possible name of the future party - "Free Russia" (SR) - and did not rule out that she would lead it.

Irina Khakamada is a former co-chair of the Union of Right Forces and a member of the federal political council of the right-wingers. When asked by Vedomosti whether her plans for a new party meant a break with the Union of Right Forces, Khakamada replied that she did not want to "say anything about the Union of Right Forces," but immediately complained that the right-wingers "remain in the Kremlin's sphere of loyalty."

She herself already has a plan of action between the presidential and the next Duma elections (2007). At the first stage, says Khakamada, she wants to create an opposition party, and at the second stage, she wants to actively participate in the formation of a pre-election democratic coalition as a "serious player." In her opinion, such a coalition could be joined by Yabloko, the Union of Right Forces, if it "finally decides to be an oppositionist," Viktor Pokhmelkin's Liberal Russia, independent State Duma deputy Vladimir Ryzhkov, etc.

Leonid Gozman, secretary of the federal political council of the Union of Right Forces for ideology, believes that the success of Khakamada's party enterprise will depend on "how many votes she gets [in the presidential elections]." "The Union of Right Forces will continue its course of uniting democratic forces [to participate in the next Duma elections]," promises Gozman. "If Khakamada succeeds in creating her own party, we will negotiate with her as well."

Deputy Chairman of the Yabloko party Sergei Mitrokhin wished Khakamada success in the party-building business, stipulating that she could take up "more real work." "It is unclear where the people who will join the new party will come from," notes Mitrokhin, who believes that politically active citizens of democratic convictions have long been "taken apart" by existing parties.

Pokhmelkin approves of any actions to consolidate political forces of democratic and liberal orientation, but at the same time reminds that Khakamada ran for president independently, without the support of the Union of Right Forces, and thus committed a "divisive act." He also believes that "leadership parties have no future - they are doomed."

Mitrokhin did not rule out that the announcement of the creation of "Free Russia" is simply part of the election campaign. But Oleg Matveychev from Bakster Group believes that the presentation of SR will not bring Khakamada additional points in the election race, the topic of creating parties is now "of little interest to anyone." And the president of the Institute of National Strategy Stanislav Belkovsky is sure that Khakamada will really try to create her own party. "But if this project does not have sponsors, it will die before it is born," the political scientist believes.

Khakamada assembles "party of the future"