Anatoly Chubais blames SPS for its defeat

In an interview with RIA Novosti, Anatoly Chubais, a Union of Right Forces (SPS) party leader, said that his party's defeat was its own fault.

"The main conclusion is that we have to blame ourselves," said Chubais. "We should look for the reason in ourselves, in our election campaign and in our policy.

"We did not reach a considerable part of the voters - medium and small business and the emerging - as a result of our own activity - middle class." Responding to a question of how the merger of the SPS and the Yabloko party influenced the election results, Chubais said that despite the different electorate the merger could have brought success to both parties.

"The task of a politician," continued Chubais, "after all, is to unite different, but close things. I am still convinced that what we could not do so far we must do now."