"Kiss and Make Up' at a New DPNI Congress

On September 13, 2008, the "Unifying' Congress of the DPNI took place in Russia's capital. It was prepared by the Moscow faction of the organization, led by Alexander Mikhailov, with the stated purpose to heal the rifts in the organization existent since May this year.

Originally, it was officially stated that all the participants to the conflict would be invited, namely the group of Alexander Belov and Vladimir Basmanov (named simply "DPNI'); Alexander Mikhailov's faction (named "DPNI - Moscow City Council' or the "Russian DPNI'); and the group led by Dimitriy Zubov (named "DPNI - Russian Civic Community'). Other dissenters, those resulting from the July 12 congress organized by the Belov-Basmanov group, were not acknowledged.

Eventually however, the "Unifying' Congress was conducted only with Mikhailov's supporters. The Belov-Basmanov DPNI was simply not invited; Zubov refused to attend the day before, calling for his supporters to boycott the congress because of the participation in the work of the DPNI - Moscow City Council of Yuri Gorskiy (PZRK "Rus') - a figure whom Zubov considers unacceptable to collaborate with. Therefore, the actual result of the Congress was making the divisions within the organization official.

A number of organizational decisions were reached at the congress, in particular the joint control system. The participants in the congress also dissociated themselves from Belov's course of action and his group's association with the "liberal opposition'. It is intended that the organization be named "Russian DPNI'. The participants further stated that the organization "is designed to oppose the internal political course of the acting authority; however, it will not draw water to the mill of Russia's enemies who work in the interest of western countries'.

From the remaining statements of the congress it becomes clear that the conflict will only aggravate itself since the factions must fight for the symbol (identical at the moment), and for the "Russian March' brand, both of which are a priority for all groups.