"Something depends on you!"

I am convinced that the main reason why the current Khabarovsk protests became such a great surprise not only for the Russian authorities, but for everyone in the country, is the lack of information space that would be common to all of Russia. In the information agenda, the country does not seem to have any Far East and never had. Now on federal television channels about current protests are silent for understandable censorship reasons. But after all, “in peacetime” about the Far East in the Central Bank, they recall mainly only during the visits of the first persons and stories about foggy “development programs”. What does a resident of the central part of Russia know about Khabarovsk generally, many would be able to immediately determine his place on the map? I doubt.

First of all, one should abandon the dogma, according to which a protest in Russia is possible only due to social or, for example, environmental problems (as in Shies), and the political agenda of the regions excites little

I read with curiosity now in the networks, however, and the well -known and benevolent comments of the capital's publicists about our current protests. This is often a valuable look from the outside. But when in the text you feel what surprise the author is from the fact that in this Khabarovsk, tens of thousands of people are able to unite and go out into the streets with the demands of “hear us”, “require an honest trial”, “Furgal is our choice”, then this encourages great clarity to what is happening. Now it is important not to repeat all those barren and erroneous "moves" that the thoughtful and writing class has already done before.

First of all, one should abandon the dogma, according to which a protest in Russia is possible only due to social or, for example, environmental problems (as in Shies), and the political agenda of the regions is not enough. July events in Khabarovsk demonstrate that the situation is at least more complicated and diverse.

For some reason, they talk a lot about Sergey Furgal as a leader who achieved a reduction in tariffs for intra-regional air transportation, took care of school breakfasts, reduced the costs of maintaining the administration and solved the problems of the Khabarovsk deceived equity holders. All this is true, to a greater or lesser extent, but now it is necessary to recall that he was the first politician in the region, who announced the creation of the so -called "coalition government" ! Perhaps this term was then used and not in its exact meaning, but at some point the governor Furgal literally invited all political parties to participate in the formation of the regional office.

Just think about it: despite the fact that this proposal was mainly addressed to the local united Russia, representatives of all parties, including non -parliamentary ones, were also invited to the dialogue. As soon as the newly elected governor decided to turn to the local political community, it turned out that there were much more people who wanted to offer their candidates for ministerial portfolios than at the beginning. Even the "green" and the party of folk freedom, which were previously represented in regional policy, to put it mildly, very modestly, declared their desire to participate in the formation of the office. Of course, this behavior of the head of the region was not arbitrary - to this he was pushed by his status of the chosen politician, who, in addition at that time, was already in a state of conflict with competitors from the United Russia party, which was dominant in the regional Duma. However, from this these events themselves do not become less significant!

After the governor decided to turn to all parties directly, for some time he accidentally aroused even those who had previously densely dozed somewhere on the sidelines of public attention. Subsequently, this process was interrupted by the confrontation between the governor and the legislative Duma of the Khabarovsk Territory (at that time the parliamentary majority in the region made up United Russia).

The political ascent of Sergei Furgal was associated with a choice that made many people in the region. The very feeling that something depends on you-this is such a value that is not so easy to refuse

It is easy to guess that the representatives of United Russia ultimately went to a significant part of the ministerial portfolios, and many positions in the government were taken by people without clear party affiliation. However, the very attempt to create a certain coalition, which theoretically could have included someone else other than the note representatives of the current so-called establishment, was very widely discussed in the region. I think that I will not be mistaken if I say that this is a political revival, although it was short -term, indecisive and almost random, made a great impression on the Khabarovsk people along with the other actions of the new provincial power. Yes, and the very willingness to cooperate and share powers looked like a new, refreshing current in a swampy regional policy, even though it was forced for a newly elected leader.

Naive users of social networks are sometimes looking for some extraordinary virtues in Sergey Furgal's personality. Of course, they are not. And it makes no sense to sculpt from the disgraced governor the image of "almost a saint." It must be clearly understood that the protesters took to the streets not only in defense of the arrested, but also (mainly) in defense of themselves, their political and, in the end, human subjectivity, the opportunity to influence what is happening, choose the fate of the chosen governor themselves.

Do not forget that the Governor of Furgal, elected in 2018, for one year, until the election to the legislative Duma of the Khabarovsk Territory of 2019, was in confrontation with the regional parliament, in which the United Russia dominated last year. The Duma "limited" the powers of the governor, even a special law was adopted, according to which the governor is obliged to coordinate with the deputies some appointments in the regional government.

Now I do not set myself the task of describing all the turns of this plot, but I only want to emphasize that, firstly, the revitalization and complication of political life in the region made a large mobilizing effect - even those who had not previously been interested in policy had to be determined with their sympathy. Well, and secondly, life itself demonstrated to the residents of the region how the system of checks and counterweights works. A thoughtful observer could well understand that all the “good” that the new governor is doing is not connected with his good character, but to his status of a chosen politician and a constant confrontation with the representative branch of the authorities.

Life itself showed the Khabarovsk people how the elected politician looks and how it works, although the most imperfect, but still a system of separation of powers. And more people became clear that the key to high -quality power was their votes in the elections, and not a “good” or “evil” disposition of a particular politician. It is for this reason that the Khabarovsk residents are stated by the requirements that they claim.

Hence and, it seems, the main requirement of the protesters is the jury and we have it here, in Khabarovsk! The political ascent of Sergei Furgal was associated with a choice that made many people in the region. The very feeling that something depends on you is such a value that is not so easy to refuse. People do not want them to be treated as incompetent. They want them to talk with them about their personal role in building the future city, region, country. People, to a greater or lesser extent, understand that a prosperous and happy future is connected with the activities of each of the inhabitants of the region, and do not want them to constantly "be pulled" from solving issues fundamental for the region. And the citizens of Khabarovsk these days demonstrated this with all the obviously.

Konstantin Bubon - lawyer, political observer, city of Khabarovsk

The "Opinion" expressed in the heading of the point of view may not coincide with the position of the editorial office