What is the Opposition Expert Council?

In connection with the submission of applications for holding two alternative opposition marches on June 12 (the first - with the support of the CSO, the second - organized by the ESO), many are wondering what kind of organization this is - the Expert Council of the Opposition?

Based on the documents published on the ESO website ( http://esovet.org ), such an organization does not exist in nature. Only the draft Regulations on the Expert Council of the Opposition were published there, where, in particular, it is written that “the ESO is being created in order to facilitate the comprehensive solution of the tasks of the Coordination Council of the Russian Opposition, providing it with comprehensive practical assistance from the expert community” (clause 1.3.).

However, if we analyze the activities of a number of representatives of the ESO, then this assistance seems to consist of holding “parallel” actions (May 5, and now June 12), which many characterize as “spoiler”, and harsh criticism of the activities of the ESO in general and its members CSR - in particular. Some “experts” call the latter names in every possible way. “Kremlin hirelings” is perhaps the mildest expression of “expert assessments.” Sobchak, Nemtsov and Navalny traditionally get the most.

As for the composition of the ESB, according to the draft Regulations, in addition to the candidates who lost the elections to the CSF, the Council includes everyone who is approved by the Presidium of the ESB, and the initial composition of the Presidium, in turn, is approved by the CSF. In addition, for operational interaction between the CSR and the ESB, the decision of the CSR selects two authorized representatives from among the members of the CSR.

As is known, at the CFA meetings no decisions were made on the initial composition of the ESB Presidium and no commissioners were approved.

It is also known that members of the ESO were offended by the KSO because of their exclusion from the meeting of the working group of the Organizing Committee of the June 12 march, organized by a group of civil activists and representatives of a number of opposition parties and movements with the support of the KSO, and applied for their own “parallel” march on the same day, but on a different route.

What claims can self-proclaimed “experts” make against the CSR and the Organizing Committee of the June 12 March regarding their exclusion from the meeting of the working group?

In general, none. There are no constituent documents, there is no presidium, there are no persons authorized to interact with CSR. What is there? Are there a number of people earning “political points” by holding “spoiler” actions, criticizing CSR and splitting protestors? Or are we dealing with the emergence of a new political force capable of uniting the masses?

I want to believe in the second, but I just can’t. Especially if you think about who benefits from holding “parallel” marches and rallies and splitting the opposition.