The frame is everything

Vladimir Zhirinovsky changes his party environment before the Duma elections

In the Duma faction of the LDPR - the only Russian party that was represented in all compositions of the State Duma - personnel turnover began. Before the first deputy leader of the faction, Yegor Solomatin , had time to announce his resignation, rumors began to spread that two more deputies would leave the ranks of the parliamentary liberal democrats - Sergei Abeltsev and Maxim Rokhmistrov. And the rotation season began with Nikolai Kuryanovich, who was expelled from the LDPR party and faction because of his participation in the so-called “Russian March” .

As for Mr. Solomatin’s departure, a number of experts expressed the opinion that this event is connected with the not very successful performance of the LDPR in the elections to regional legislative assemblies on October 8. The LDPR overcame the seven percent barrier in only three out of nine regions. True, the party leadership explained the defeats by elementary falsification. LDPR leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky officially stated that he has no complaints against Yegor Solomatin, and his departure from the faction is associated with a possible appointment to a position in the Accounts Chamber. Sergei Abeltsev and Maxim Rokhmistrov will not go into emptiness either. The first, according to Mr. Zhirinovsky, can become the governor of the Belgorod region, and the second will receive a position in the Federal Agency for Property Management.

Nikolai Kuryanovich has a different opinion on this matter. “These are all links in one chain,” the exiled deputy told a Vremya Novostei correspondent. - Official information regarding Yegor Solomatin’s departure from the faction, in my opinion, does not correspond to reality. According to the information I have, a serious conversation took place between Lebedev and Solomatin. And the result of this conflict situation was evident in the exodus from the Solomatin faction. This is due to the general unhealthy moral and psychological situation in the party leadership. It’s a pity for the middle and lower-level activists who, just like me in my time, selflessly continue to believe in the party’s slogan “We are for the Russians, we are for the poor.” There is also information from trustworthy sources that representatives of business structures are closing their accounts and refusing to finance the party, seeing the illusory nature and futility of its continued existence on the political landscape and passage to the State Duma.”

At the same time, Sergei Abeltsev, who, according to Zhirinovsky, may in the near future replace the old-time governor of the Belgorod region, Evgeniy Savchenko, sees the situation in the party and faction somewhat differently. “There is no crisis in the LDPR,” Mr. Abeltsev told a Vremya Novostei correspondent. - Kuryanovich was expelled from the party and faction for violating party discipline and subordination. As for Yegor Solomatin, we are talking about his appointment to the Accounts Chamber. If we talk about my departure, as well as about Rokhmistrov’s departure, then this will happen only in the event of our appointments. I clearly know my place in the ranks. The results of recent elections in the regions are not entirely satisfactory to us, but they are not bad. And they are not an indicator of the result in federal elections. “In addition, I believe that there was falsification, so there is no point in punishing any of the party activists.”

Deputy General Director of the Center for Political Technologies Alexei Makarkin also believes that it is too early to write off the liberal democrats from the political scene. “It is still premature to talk about a crisis in the LDPR,” the political scientist shared with a Vremya Novostei correspondent. - The expulsion of Kuryanovich from the party and faction is a political decision; he has become displeasing to the Kremlin. And the LDPR has always had good relations with the Kremlin, which ensured Zhirinovsky’s presence on television and the status of vice-speaker of the State Duma. On the other hand, Kuryanovich himself has already begun to play independent games. If you look at the history of the Liberal Democratic Party, there are many cases of such departures. If we look at the composition of the LDPR faction in the first Duma and in the fourth, we will find a very small number of coincidences there. Despite this, the LDPR did not have any serious problems. LDPR is Zhirinovsky. And if we take the regional result, it needs to be multiplied by two in order to understand what the percentage of the LDPR might be in the federal elections. But since the LDPR is a party of one person, it is perceived as a mechanism that works for this person. It is clear that those figures who develop independent ambitions are forced to leave. But voters really don’t care who is second, third, or fourth in the party.”

Ksenia VERETENNIKOVA