“Unity” congress supports the creation of a united party with “Fatherland” and “All Russia"

Delegates of the third Unity congress, which took place in Moscow, have taken the decision to create a united political party based on the Unity party and the Fatherland and All Russia movements. The delegates decided to organize the second stage of the unifying congress at the beginning of December, when the united centrist party is to be created. The Unity faction’s leader Vladimir Pekhtin believes that the creation of the new centrist party could be regarded as a fact. While speaking at the third Unity congress in Moscow, Pekhtin stressed a model of the new party to successfully function in the person of the Four Deputy Association Unit. “The exterior of the new party could be well seen in this unit”, the faction’s leader said. Pekhtin announced that parties are created in democratic countries namely to fight for power and to carry out real policy on the basis of its ideology, and first of all in parliament. According to Pekhting, a party’s exterior is its parliament faction. He recalled tht the Unity party was of parliament origin. At first, it was a successful election unit. “Though only in the State Duma, the necessity of a political organization based on a certain ideology and program appeared,” Pekhtin said. He elucidated that from election to election, political and ideological problems have to be solved, namely in the process of creating laws. Vladimir Pekhtin stated that Unity’s ideology and program have not been introduced from outside; they have naturally developed during practical work in the Duma. The faction’s leader proposed to judge about the political party’s ideology and programme only according to the content of the laws the party’s faction votes for in the parliament, because “allegiance to principles can be demonstrated work for people interests, but not in congresses and meetings." According to Unity’s leader, the deputies of the four units have common principles. “We all are for a powerful state and for free economy, for continuing social and economical reforms, and namely this is ideology,” – Pekhtin said. According to him, the main ideas of this ideology are expounded in the Russian president’s annual message to the Federal Assembly. These ideas designate the directions of legal activities of Unity faction, Pekhtin noticed. Vladimir Pekhtin admitted that a divergence of opinion could appear in the unity of the four parties while discussing bills: one supports increasing defence expenses, while others support expenses for the building of roads. However, interests can be coordinated when the principles are shared. “And we coordinate interests; therefore, we are able to create a common program,” Vladimir Pekhtin said. He stated that a political party is a broader notion than a faction in parliament. “Though a party’s activity is possible only if its kernel consist of the people who has already proved they can not only share our ideas but also realize them,” Unity’s leader stressed. “We have shown that it was real to gather forces supporting Vladimir Putin’s course, because the policy carried out by the president is the base for unification," he said. Vladimir Putin sent a greeting to the delegates of the congress. “Within recent years, the party became one of the leading political forces in Russia,” the state’s head writes. The president believes that “the party actively participates in working out and taking the most important state decisions, while proving its hard adherence to democracy with its activities." Vladimir Putin stated that Unity effectively cooperated with powerful bodies on every level, in favour of the country’s dynamic development, of social stability and the citizens’ prosperity.” The president also stressed that “the party’s authority has seriously grown, while its positions in different regions have become stronger.” The president expressed assurance of the congress supporting “efforts directed to unification of all constructive political forces, for the good of Russia.”

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2001/10/27/33166.html