Former leader of the RPP will head the Chelyabinsk list of Right Russia members

Yesterday, during the visit to Chelyabinsk of the Chairman of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation, leader of the A Just Russia (SR) party Sergei Mironov, it became clear that the regional party list of candidates for State Duma deputies will be headed by the former leader of the Russian Party of Pensioners (RPP) Valery Hartung. According to experts, the appearance of this figure in the active SR will strengthen the competition between parties in the region and may increase the rating of the Just Russia party by more than 15% of the votes. Their opponents are confident that the conflict situation within the regional branch of the SR may hinder the implementation of political goals. Chairman of the Federation Council, leader of the A Just Russia party Sergei Mironov arrived in Chelyabinsk on a working visit to “study socio-economic development in the region.” During the day, he met with the governor of the Chelyabinsk region, Pyotr Sumin, and deputies of the regional Legislative Assembly, in whose presence he criticized the State Duma for “automatically adopting government laws.” In addition, Mr. Mironov visited the Chelyabinsk pipe-rolling and forging-press plants (ChTPZ and ChKPZ), and also talked with local party members.

It is noteworthy that he appeared at almost all events accompanied by the ex-leader of the RPP, State Duma deputy Valery Hartung. And one of the enterprises that he honored with his attention, ChKPZ, belongs to the family of the former “pensioner” - his wife Marina Hartung and son Andrey.

According to experts, this indicates that it is Mr. Hartung who the head of Just Russia intends to entrust with leadership in the regional party list during the election campaign to the State Duma (the elections are scheduled for December 2 - Kommersant). As Alexander Podoprigora, vice-president of the consulting company Sovetnik, noted, the appearance of this person on the A Just Russia list could take away a significant number of votes from United Russia members. “It is necessary to remember that Mr. Hartung is extremely popular in the Chelyabinsk region, and when he was the leader of the RPP, the party in the region gained 25%. For this, she was removed from the elections to the Legislative Assembly in 2005,” he added (at that time “United Russia” gained about 52%, and “Rodina” was the only one admitted to the elections of the 3 parties that formed the SR - 7%).

Let us recall that in October 2005 the Chelyabinsk Regional Election Commission refused to register the list of RPPs, arguing that the list was signed by an unauthorized person. The fact is that the Moscow City Court confirmed the verdict of the Tagansky District Court, which satisfied the request of ex-party leader Sergei Atroshenko and declared illegal the registration by the Ministry of Justice of the decision of the RPP congress to elect Mr. Hartung as party leader at the congress in January 2004.

However, yesterday at a meeting with party activists, Sergei Mironov answered evasively about the possible participation of the former “pensioner” in the Duma election campaign. At the same time, he admitted that Mr. Hartung's authority and influence would benefit the party. “We will consider the issue of forming lists taking this factor into account,” added Mr. Mironov. Valery Hartung himself was evasive. “I have no plans to build a political career, but there is a party, there is a person whom I sympathize with and intend to help,” he noted in a conversation with a Kommersant correspondent. True, he clarified that he has no plans to join the party yet.

If Valery Hartung heads the list of Just Russia members, experts predict that party competition will become tougher. At the same time, the director of the Chelyabinsk branch of the Ural Academy of Civil Service, Sergei Zyryanov, draws attention to the fact that the struggle will be difficult. “The Just Russians will have to work on two fronts, on the one hand against the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, and on the other hand against United Russia.” The fact is that the basic electoral groups of the Socialist Republic and the Communist Party of the Russian Federation overlap due to the high popularity at one time of the party of pensioners,” noted Mr. Zyryanov.

However, neither the Communist Party of the Russian Federation nor United Russia sees a threat from Valery Hartung. Chairman of the Chelyabinsk regional committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation Pyotr Svechnikov is confident that the presence of Mr. Hartung will most likely take away United Russia’s votes. “The fact is that after the collapse of the RPP, many went to the regional branch of the Union of Pensioners of Russia, created last summer by the manager of the regional pension fund, Viktor Chernobrovin, and other members of United Russia,” the communist explained. And the head of the United Russia headquarters, first vice-governor of the Chelyabinsk region Andrei Kosilov believes that the ex-leader of the RPP will not prevent United Russia from gaining 50-53%. “The internal corporate struggle that continues in the SR party (the exclusion of Rodinsky member Vadim Voroby from the SR, the ideological confrontation between the leader of the cell Vladimir Dubrovsky and Valery Hartung - Kommersant) may hinder the realization of its political ambitions,” he noted.

Olesya Ratoshnyuk

Kommersant (Ekaterinburg) No. 114 from 07/03/2007

Valery Hartung is hired for a percentage