VZCZCXRO2980
RR RUEHDBU RUEHLN RUEHPOD RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHMO #4441/01 2531558
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 101558Z SEP 07
FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3697
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHXD/MOSCOW POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHLN/AMCONSUL ST PETERSBURG 4494
RUEHVK/AMCONSUL VLADIVOSTOK 2394
RUEHYG/AMCONSUL YEKATERINBURG 2685

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MOSCOW 004441 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KDEM RS
SUBJECT: RUSSIAN OPPOSITION CONFERENCES FOILED 
 
REF: MOSCOW 004418 
 
MOSCOW 00004441  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
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SUMMARY 
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¶1. (U) Other Russia's effort to hold regional conferences in 
order to choose a unified candidate for the 2008 presidential 
election was foiled when venues they had booked were canceled 
or in some cases, participants were unable to enter the 
premises. End Summary. 
 
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Regional Conferences 
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¶2. (U) In July, Other Russia announced it would hold regional 
conferences throughout the country in order to select a 
unified candidate to run for president in 2008. The movement 
had held to date 24 regional conferences at which former 
Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov, the United Civic Front's 
Garry Kasparov and ex-central banker Viktor Gerashchenko had 
received the most votes from delegates. This past weekend, 
additional conferences were planned in Moscow, Nizhniy 
Novgorod, Smolensk, Rostov-on-Don and Cheboksary. None of the 
conferences took place. In Rostov oblast, for example, Other 
Russia planned to hold its conference in the studio of a 
local artist in the town of Azov. Police at the site did not 
allow participants to get into the building. Instead, they 
forced them into mini buses and sent them back to Rostov. 
 
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Moscow Venue Backs Out of Contract 
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¶3. (U) In Moscow, Other Russia planned to hold its conference 
at the "Sputnik" cinema. On August 23, the leaders of Other 
Russia signed a contract with the director of the cinema and 
paid the fees in advance. On September 7, the General 
Director of "Moskovskoye Kino," the organization that 
oversees Sputnik, informed Other Russia that the contract was 
no longer valid due to the fact that Other Russia "did not 
submit full information about its organization, nor did it 
coordinate the event with the local authorities." 
 
¶4. (U) Other Russia viewed the letter as evidence they can 
use to sue Sputnik for canceling the contract since there is 
no legal requirement to get permission from the authorities 
for this type of indoor event. The organization apparently 
also realized that their first letter was a mistake and sent 
Other Russia a second letter apologizing for not being able 
to provide space for the group's meeting. They cited a 
technical emergency in the building as the reason. Copies of 
both letters were distributed at a press conference. 
 
¶5. (U) Other Russia made another attempt to rent a hall, this 
time at the Izmaylovo Hotel. Again, they were denied. This 
time the refusal was made by telephone and similar reasons 
were cited. 
 
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Hoping for Space for Party Congress 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (U) Despite these set-backs, Other Russia leaders remain 
hopeful that their September 30 party congress will go 
forward. They have a contract with Izmaylovo that includes 
the rental of 400 rooms for participants and meeting space. 
The leaders hoped that the press conference and its ensuing 
publicity would have a positive effect and that space for 
their congress will remain available. 
 
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Why Now? 
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¶7. (U) Eduard Limonov, the National Bolshevik leader, who 
participated in the press conference along with Kasparov, 
Denis Bilunov of United Civil Front and Lev Ponomarev, of 
"For Human Rights," said "in August, the authorities missed 
the possible implications of the conferences." It was also 
mentioned that the recent presidential decree announcing the 
date of the Duma elections might have precipitated events. 
"It suddenly dawned on the authorities that Other Russia 
might be a hindrance" to the smooth proceedings of the 
campaign, a participant noted. 
 
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MOSCOW 00004441  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
Comment 
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¶8. (SBU) It appears indeed as if the official start of the 
Duma election campaign has sparked a reaction from the 
authorities, who had let the previous 24 such events go 
uneventfully forward. In an earlier conversation with Embassy 
(reftel), Kasparov had seemed less concerned about official 
interference, and more focused on keeping his flailing 
movement relevant as the campaign got underway. 
Burns