VZCZCXRO0517
PP RUEHDBU RUEHLN RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHMO #0845/01 0591600
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 281600Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7768
INFO RUEHVK/AMCONSUL VLADIVOSTOK 1950
RUEHYG/AMCONSUL YEKATERINBURG 2237
RUEHLN/AMCONSUL ST PETERSBURG 3823
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHXD/MOSCOW POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 MOSCOW 000845 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/RUS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PINR KDEM SOCI PREL RS
SUBJECT: "FOR A JUST RUSSIA" POSITIONS SELF AS 
LEFTIST, OPPOSITION PARTY AS DUMA CAMPAIGN BEGINS 
 
 
MOSCOW 00000845  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
------- 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1. (SBU) The second, Kremlin-approved party, "For a 
Just Russia (SR)" at its inaugural congress February 
24-27 combined left-wing rhetoric, criticism of the 
GOR's performance, anger at its treatment in the 
regions, and patriotism in a credible effort to 
establish itself as an alternative to the governing, 
United Russia party. The often-lampooned SR Chairman 
Sergey Mironov delivered a keynote speech that hit 
all of the right notes.  While dampening 
expectations for extravagant results in the March 11 
regional elections, Mironov predicted that SR would 
cross the threshold to representation in each of the 
fourteen contests, leaving it positioned to contend 
with the reigning party, United Russia, in the all- 
important December State Duma elections.  End 
summary. 
 
---------------------------------- 
SR:  Putin Present at the Creation 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) The second, Kremlin-approved political 
party, "For a Just Russia (SR)" staged its first 
congress February 24-27 in St. Petersburg. SR was 
formed in October 2006 as a result of a merger of 
the Russian Party of Pensioners, the Russian Party 
of Life, and Rodina political parties.  The creation 
of SR was welcomed by President Putin who, it was 
widely assumed, believed a managed, two-party system 
would arrest flagging popular interest in Russia's 
overdetermined politics and puncture growing 
complacency among politicians ensconced in the 
reigning United Russia (YR) political party. 
 
----------------------------------- 
Socialist, Communist Internationals 
Burnish SR's Leftist Credentials 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Congress organizers reported that 299 of 
the 328 invited delegates attended the event. (Each 
SR delegate allegedly represented about one thousand 
party members from 79 regions countrywide.  At one 
point during the plenary, Mironov claimed that SR 
was adding 40 thousand members to its roles each 
month.)  Also in attendance were observers from 
communist and socialist parties worldwide, many of 
whom were invited, at the February 26 plenary, to 
greet the congress as a way of establishing SR's 
left-wing bona fides. 
 
----------------------- 
St. Petersburg Governor 
Puts Stick in SR Spokes 
----------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) SR President and master of ceremonies 
Sergey Mironov followed endorsements from the likes 
of the communist parties of China, Cuba, and 
Transnistria with a message from President Putin 
approving the work of SR.  Notably absent was an 
endorsement from the congress's "host," St. 
Petersburg Governor Matvienko.  While publicly 
distancing herself from both YR and SR, Matvienko 
has channeled administrative resources to YR and has 
even, observers in St. Petersburg told us, gone so 
far as to deny SR representatives access to 
theaters, schools, and other venues.  Others in St. 
Petersburg report that, during the week of February 
19, teachers were ordered to meetings where they 
were told to vote YR.  (One contact told us her 
summons was the first such instance since the 
collapse of the USSR.  Her response, also a relic of 
the Soviet era, was to get a pink slip from her 
doctor.)  Still, Mironov noted in his introductory 
remarks that the city government was represented at 
the Congress by Deputy Governor Viktor Lobko, whose 
uncomfortable-looking face was then flashed briefly 
on the television monitors. 
 
--------------------------- 
 
MOSCOW 00000845  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
Congress Themes:  Something 
For Everyone 
--------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) The Congress mixed healthy doses of 
patriotism (including two performances of the 
national anthem, attacks on Estonia's decision to 
remove its Soviet war memorial, and praise for 
Putin's Wehrkunde speech), left-wing rhetoric, 
schmaltz (boys and girls urging delegates to think 
of their future), and criticism of those in power 
(Putin excepted). In the audience with the delegates 
to rev up the crowd were members of SR's various 
youth groups brandishing Russian and party flags. 
 
-------------------- 
Mironov's Stemwinder 
-------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) In the plenary's keynote speech, Mironov 
sought to position SR as an "action-oriented" party 
with a "socialist perspective."  A successful SR 
would destroy "two monopolies": United Russia's hold 
on power and the Communist Party's "right to 
represent the interests of workers."  SR, Mironov 
said, "wants a real, two-party system."  He deplored 
the elimination of Yabloko from the ballot in St. 
Petersburg.  That sally, which managed to 
simultaneously criticize Matvienko and position SR 
to pick up the votes of disgruntled Yabloko voters 
in St. Petersburg, won Mironov applause from thuSl~N=T{ed candidly 
the problems facing the party.  SR was encountering 
"problems" in the regions, including difficulty in 
winning access to the media, blackmail, and the use 
of "dirty tactics."  "Many governors are in YR," 
Mironov said.  "And we know their relation to us." 
After noting sourly that the law gives an advantage 
to the incumbent party, Mironov promised delegates 
that, once in power, SR would work to eliminate the 
legal requirement for registered political parties 
to register for each election. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Also in Mironov's sights was that hardy 
perennial, corruption, which must be treated as 
"treason." Reform of the courts would be high on 
SR's agenda.  (Mironov's glancing reference to 
corruption was echoed by subsequent speakers.) 
Mironov then ticked off the four key economic points 
on the SR agenda:  a "just" pension, a progressive 
tax system, the just use of natural resources, and 
fair pay.  Mironov promised that teachers and 
doctors would receive "all of the benefits of state 
employees," and the stabilization fund would be used 
to that end. Pensions, Mironov said, should be at 
least fifty percent of the median salary.  Just as 
Russia had paid off its external debt, it must, 
Mironov said to applause, liquidate the 1992 voucher 
debt to its own citizens.  SR, Mironov summed up, 
offered a "new socialist perspective" which would 
have Russia, "like other rich countries," aid its 
citizens through the state sector. 
 
-------------------------- 
Local SR Chairman Sees 
"Fear" Returning to Russia 
-------------------------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) Mironov's well-delivered speech was 
followed by the reading of congratulatory telegrams 
from Accounting Chamber Chairman Sergey Stepashin 
and Kamchatka Governor Mashkovtsev (the only 
Governor to cast his lot with SR).  Nine other 
speakers followed Mironov, with remarks by Duma 
Deputy Oksana Dmitrieva, actress Rima Markova, and 
local SR Chairman Oleg Nilov (St. Petersburgers all) 
winning the loudest applause.  Dmitrieva, who heads 
SR's list in St. Petersburg, concentrated her fire 
on the GOR's failed pension reform, substandard 
housing programs, and lack of support for small 
business. 
 
 
MOSCOW 00000845  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
¶10. (SBU) Nilov's indictment of the status quo was 
more sweeping.  An almost forgotten sensation, 
"fear," he said, was returning to Russia.  No member 
of the GOR was willing to join SR, and the current 
appearance of election legality cloaked the real 
state of affairs. Visibly sweating, Nilov asked, 
"did we really lose millions of lives (during WWII) 
only to again live in fear?  We need to return 
credibility to the political system.  I appeal to 
United Russia to join us in this task." 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶11. (SBU) Although many were prepared to see SR as a 
puppet opposition party, Mironov's sense of outrage 
at the obstacles encountered by his party in the 
regions seemed genuine, as did his efforts to 
present SR as an ideological and practical 
alternative to YR.  In a conversation after the 
plenary, delegate Oksana Dmitrieva was at pains to 
downplay the left-wing rhetoric that had studded 
many of the day's speeches.  "They talk, but we're 
the ones who will write the legislation," she said, 
and insisted that SR would pursue a moderate course 
should it win a respectable minority in the Duma. 
The chief threat to SR, Dmitrieva said, was not the 
left, but those currently in YR who may cast their 
lot with SR should it do well enough in the March 11 
regional elections.  Those opportunists, she 
thought, would undercut what she hoped was SR's 
sincere intention to address some of the problems 
described by speakers during the plenary. 
 
BURNS