What is United Russia’s fate?

On Wednesday United Russia, the party of the power concluded a co-operation agreement with 12 public organizations. Now its rating is to be increased with the help of public organizations for blind and deaf people, champions of environmental protection and defenders of ancient monuments. The party got an order from deputy chairman of the presidential administration Vladislav Surkov to transform from a virtual party created from above to a party based on support from below by the parliamentary elections scheduled for 2003. The party is to win not less that 30% of the population over to its side, a rather maximum task. The Kremlin itself does not know how it is to be done, but the party has nothing left to do, but try to realize the task.

The party started at once consideration of the task. And finally an idea appeared, that, as the party itself thinks, can bring popularity in any layers of the society. As the party understands, the only way to obtain people’s sympathy is to promise to improve its financial position. And the party plunged at once in solution of social problems. First of all, the party plans to open public receptions all over the country for people to come there with their problems.

Chairman of the party’s executive committee Bespalov called upon deputies to pay special attention to the problem of wage and pension payments. They are to use legislative measures for control over payments to budgetary workers. The reception is supposed to receive complaints of people about violations in the sphere of payments. The party has no concept so far as for its further work with the complaints. It is not even ruled out, if necessary, local law-makers will defend people’s rights in courts.

In addition, United Russia plans to open hot telephone lines in all 89 regions of Russia for collection of complaints about faults in work of local authorities.

Gazeta.Ru thinks, no matter how hard United Russia works on reanimation of its popularity with protection of budgetary workers and other vulnerable social layers, it will be practically impossible to take this part of electorate from the Communist Party. Name of President Putin is still a strategic resource of the party.

Dmitry Litvinovich PRAVDA.Ru

Translated by Maria Gousseva

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2002/04/26/40377.html