No election, no "changes"

The Ministry of Justice demanded through the court to suspend the work of the Civil Initiative Dmitry Gudkov

The Ministry of Justice filed a lawsuit in the Supreme Court with a request to suspend the activities of the Political Politics of Dmitry Gudkov “Civil Initiative” (now the “Party of Changes”). It was from this party in 2018 that TV presenter Ksenia Sobchak was nominated in the presidential election. After the campaign ended, pressure began. With the approximation of the elections to the State Duma in 2021, it only intensifies.

A message about the lawsuit appeared on the page of the founder of the party Andrei Nechaev on Facebook. According to the notification from the Supreme Court, the meeting was scheduled for January 14. As Nechaev “New” said, the contents of the claim are still unknown, but not the first time the ministry has questions for the ministry. Moreover, they used to be formally bureaucratic.

“Claims arose mainly to reporting and the charter, but there were paradoxical cases,” says Nechaev. - Suppose the Ministry of Justice considered that my powers as the chairman expired, although I was re -elected at the December Congress of 2017. Then we nominated Ksenia Sobchak as a presidential candidate. The Ministry of Justice this congress [did not count] due to the fact that the protocols were drawn up in no form recommended by it.

“In theory, then the question should arise about the legitimacy of the 2018 presidential election, since the candidate nominated at the illegitimate congress participated in them.”

In the presidential election of 2018, Ksenia Sobchak took fourth place, gaining 1.68% of the vote. A little earlier, the former State Duma deputy Dmitry Gudkov announced that together with Sobchak was going to create a new opposition party on the basis of a “civil initiative”. At the summer congress of 2018, she was given the name “Party of Changes”, and Gudkova Jr. was elected chairman.

According to the politician, it was not possible to register changes for all this time, bureaucratic conflicts interfere. The Ministry of Justice twice rejected his documents about the party leadership due to "errors". Other claims of a very small scale. For example, the ministry found fault with the fact that one of the party members was part of the Moscow party, although he lives in the suburbs. The fact that the law says that to participate in the Moscow department of the party, the ministry was not interested in mainly living in Moscow. In addition, all this time, the policy is not allowed to register the Gudkov newspaper, arguing this with the lack of various certificates (for example, certificates of the absence of a second citizenship of the chief editor).

- If the court takes the side of the Ministry of Justice, we will have to hold a new congress. This will cost at least 1.5 million rubles, ”Gudkov notes. - This will be the fourth congress in two years.

According to Andrei Nechaev, the pressure on the party is associated with its opposition, as well as with the participation of candidates who do not like the authorities.

- A variety of moods roam upstairs. It is clear that the Ministry of Justice is just a performer. Perhaps this is such a black mark. “Guys, behave quieter, be flexible and fluffy,” the politician says.

So far, it is only about the suspension of the party’s activities to eliminate the shortcomings. As specified in the press service of the Ministry of Justice "Vedomosti", the Ministry filed a lawsuit for three months.

- Most likely, the court will choose such a period so that we cannot take an active part in the summer election campaign. Then, if the shortcomings are not eliminated, they can already raise the question of liquidation. At the same time, the trial can last up to a year, ”Nechaev notes.

“The lawsuit was expected,” adds Gudkov. -If in the summer we were all imprisoned and not allowed into some kind of Moscow City Duma, it is obvious that they do not want us to move on. Meanwhile, on the basis of the “Party of Changes”, we wanted to make a protest forces unit and put forward a normal list to the State Duma with all the new leaders who appeared, including following the results of the Moscow elections.

"Evgeny Roizman was ready to move from the party."

The former mayor of Yekaterinburg reported this decision during the conference "Russia for citizens" on November 17. According to him, he is ready to “shoot” from the “batch of change” if its chairman is Gudkov.

However, it is impossible to justify the pressure only by Roizman’s statement, political scientist Alexei Makarkin concludes. It is probably about the loyalty of large cities, for example, Yekaterinburg.

- The peculiarity of the “Party of Changes” is that it is less burdened by the past. “Civil Initiative” is the party of Andrei Nechaev, it is difficult to name its other participants. Because of this, the party is more inclined to integrate new people, ”the expert says.

Evgeny Roizman himself denies the connection of the claim with his activity. According to him, the nomination from the “Party of Changes” was only an assumption, and even with clear conditions, such as the registration of the party and the chairmanship of Gudkov. Given the fact that two years are still two years left, all these discussions “have no relation to reality”, and now he has other proposals for 2021.

- The lawsuit was associated with my activity. I can agree, but I think it myself is completely different. The party nominated Sobchak, it is no longer needed. Civil Initiative was used. Now [the authorities] begins to be afraid that Gudkov is growing activity with completely anti -plate rhetoric. Now no one will play these games, ”says Roizman.

Alexei Makarkin partially argues with this statement. According to him, it cannot be assumed that the “civil initiative” was needed only for the nomination of Sobchak to the president.

- People went to the party completely interested. Perhaps there really was a plan to re -register it under the new name, and Sobchak’s nomination was to be the first step in promoting the party in public space, ”the expert explains. - “Party of Change” could become more moderate than Alexei Navalny and his people. In addition, no one interfered with Gudkov in the parliamentary elections of 2016. Based on this, it is quite possible that he assumed that he could go to the polls with the party.

Now the “civilian initiative” will prophesy the future of the “right -hand business”, on the basis of which in 2016 the system of growth was created. Its chairman is Boris Titov, authorized by the President of Russia for the Protection of the Rights of Entrepreneurs, who was able to receive an asset to the 2016 parliamentary elections to participate in them without collecting signatures. According to Makarkin, then the transfer of the party was held during negotiations. Now no one will arrange something similar with a “civil initiative”.

- If you need a party to work with middle -class people, then you can use the same growth batch. To create a new party on the basis of a “civil initiative” would be redundant, and it makes no sense to overthrow the current leaders and lead to power someone instead, ”the expert summarizes.