Secretary of the Mari Right of the Communist Party of the Communist Party Genady Zubkov:
Access to ordinary regional media to these people is usually closed. Meanwhile, the Mari Communists represent today, perhaps, the only alternative to the local “United Russia”: departments in all areas and quite stable membership in the ranks of the party. In addition, they are an official parliamentary opposition, however, virtually deprived of a voice and, it seems, desperate to somehow influence the development of events in the Mari El State Assembly controlled by the other forces.