10 political parties denied registration in Russia

During a year after the law "On political parties" had come into force the justice ministry denied registration to ten political parties, said deputy justice minister Evgeny Sidorenko at a Moscow press conference on Monday. "It is connected with the higher requirements to political parties envisioned in the law," he pointed out. None of the ten parties has so far turned to court, he stressed. Besides, these parties can make the necessary amendments to their charters at party congresses and then turn to the justice ministry again, the deputy minister added.

Now the justice ministry is not conducting planned checks on political parties, including those meant to find out the real number of their members, Sidorenko stressed.

When commenting on the process of re-registration of the public political movements and creation of political parties in Russia, the deputy minister called it "quiet and systematic". So far "there are no emergencies" in the process, he added. Of the 184 registered public political movements "the majority will not even aspire the status of a political party", Sidorenko believes.