RPR against Parnassus

RPR-Parnas leaders are trying to agree in order to prevent the split of the party

The associates of one of the co-chairs of the RPR-Parnas, the former Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian government, Vladimir Ryzhkov, registered the organizing committee of the new party "Republicans of Russia" in the Ministry of Justice. The authorized Organizing Committee was a member of the Federal Political Council of the Party of the RPR-Parnas, assistant Vladimir Ryzhkov Vladimir Koptsev. For the other two parties of the party - Boris Nemtsov and Mikhail Kasyanov - the registration of the new party was an unpleasant surprise.

The contradictions within the RPR-Parnas party became obvious when on the eve of the New Year nine members of the political council of the former Republican Party Vladimir Ryzhkov released a letter about the crisis in the party.

The letter, in particular, states that "without searching for bright leaders, the party began to be used as a technical tool for nominating candidates who have nothing to do with the party." In the summer of this year, two co-chairs of the RPR-Parnas Boris Nemtsov and Mikhail Kasyanov supported

I think there are a lot of personal, some mutual criticism, reproaches, offenses

The nomination of the candidacy of Alexei Navalny in the elections of the mayor of Moscow, while another co -chair - Vladimir Ryzhkov - opposed.

However, Boris Nemtsov believes that this event did not cause an intra -party schism and, by and large, large -scale ideological disagreements between the party leaders are not:

- We have a democratic party. Kasyanov and I supported Navalny, Ryzhkov did not support. But this is no drama. I believe that there are a lot of personal, some mutual criticism, reproaches, resentments. An important role is played by such a moment: the party should remain independent. It should by no means turn into a coolestous Kremlin structure. Most importantly, the party should remain democratic. No one should have control. We defend these two positions. I hope we will be able to defend them. I do not see any large -scale ideological disagreements between us, primarily between co -chairs. Rather, they are stylistic, emotional in nature. There are practically no them at all. Therefore, I think that we have all the possibilities in the presence of goodwill from all sides to find a solution and save the only party.

As a member of the RPR-Parnas political council, authorized representative of the Republican Russian Republican Organizing Committee , Vladimir Koptsev , explained in an interview with Radio, the party’s leadership continues to find a compromise:

- We received a request from Vladimir Ryzhkov to suspend the activities of the organizing committee. Such issues are not resolved by phone and running, therefore, probably, in the very near future, as far as possible, the organizing committee will gather, representatives of the regions will come, and we will discuss the situation. Either the parties reach a compromise on the design of the RPR-Parnas, or something else. Ryzhkov retses this to the republican wing of the party. Until we should draw conclusions, we have a certain time, we will meet. Consultations continue.

Boris Nemtsov says that he and Mikhail Kasyanov understand the consequences of the intra -party crisis and make efforts to overcome it:

I was very unpleasantly surprised that a number of activists - 9 people, so to speak, Ryzhkov’s supporters - had already turned to the Ministry of Justice and registered the organizing committee of the new party. These are excessive schismatic actions for the party

- The position of both mine and Mikhail Mikhailovich Kasyanov is absolutely clear: we are categorically against the split. We believe that this is damaged by everyone: to civilian activists, civil society, and democracy. We are really the only independent party in the country, registered by the decision of the European Court. This will be huge damage, including for Vladimir Alexandrovich Ryzhkov. We held the next round of our discussion, in which all three co -chair - Kasyanov, Ryzhkov and I took part. Honestly, I was unpleasantly surprised by the information that a number of activists - 9 people, so to speak, Ryzhkov’s supporters - turned to the Ministry of Justice and registered the organizing committee of the new party. We believe that these are extremely harmful schismatic actions for the party. Despite the fact that the Minhust registration exists, nevertheless we continue consultations and we hope that we will still be able to save the party at the cost of finding decisions and compromise.

- What is the attitude of Ryzhkov to the actions of his supporters?

- Naturally, he supports the actions of his supporters. How can he not support the actions of his assistant, who is the chairman of the organizing committee?! It's funny! Another thing is that he personally does not participate in all this. Of course, I think that his opinion is extremely important for these people. I believe that this appeal to the Ministry of Justice causes us great harm.

According to Vladimir Koptsev , the actions of Ryzhkov and his supporters are aimed at developing the Party of the RPR-Parnas:

- Party has rushed quite sharp questions, there is a crisis. It is not a point of no return, because you can always find some solutions that will arrange all the participants. The organizing committee demonstrates the readiness of the republican wing in the event of some negative development of events to go its own way. There is confidence, there are reserves to move in a party manner independently, independently. And in some way, maybe this will allow to force the discussion, which, probably, has already dragged on a little. Party construction should be present, and also in an understandable way, the party should not be present nominally, but to develop quite actively, take part in elections at all levels, there is serious work, and approach it from a formal point of view is highly naive. These all issues - structural, strategic, ideological - should be somehow resolved.

Representatives of regional branches supporting Vladimir Ryzhkov hoping that during the consultations the RPR-Parnas leaders will be able to agree. On February 8, a meeting of the party’s political council is scheduled. If the contradictions cannot be overcome, Ryzhkov’s supporters are ready for separation.

The split in the RPR-Parnas is alarming among voters who want to cast their votes to democratic candidates in the upcoming elections in the fall. In particular, in September, Muscovites will choose deputies to the Moscow City Duma.

Andrei Buzin, the head of the Interregional Association of Voters, does not see the reasons for unnecessarily dramatize the situation in the RPR-Parnas: "There is no special tragedy in this. I think that even if the split occurs, two sides will agree on the nomination of unified candidates."