VZCZCXRO6448
RR RUEHDBU RUEHLN RUEHPOD RUEHSK RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHMO #1535/01 1621359
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 111359Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3753
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHXD/MOSCOW POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MOSCOW 001535 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM PINR KDEM SOCI RS
SUBJECT: UNITED RUSSIA MANIPULATES PENZA REGION'S MASSES 
 
REF: 07 MOSCOW 5268 
 
¶1. (SBU)  Summary:  During a recent visit to the Penza Region 
it was apparent that United Russia dominates the region to an 
extreme degree.  Opposition forces, like the Communist Party 
of the Russian Federation (KPRF), the Liberal Democratic 
Party of Russia (LDPR), and Just Russia have very little 
representation, or they were almost inactive, as in the case 
of Yabloko, Right Cause, and the Solidarity movement.  United 
Russia has used its administrative resources to manipulate 
the masses while simultaneously clamping down on the media 
and human rights outlets.  Rather than a flourishing 
democracy, silence and oppression reign in Penza.  End 
Summary. 
 
United Russia Dominates Penza 
----------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU)  During a June 2-4 visit to the Penza Oblast, the 
dominance of the ruling United Russia party was palpable.  In 
the March 2008 elections, United Russia swept all electoral 
areas.  According to local party Chairman Victor Dolotov, 
United Russia dominated each district of the region and 
garnered a regional total of 96 percent of the votes, as well 
as 88 percent in the Penza City elections.  KPRF and Just 
Russia each have a single deputy in the Penza Regional Duma, 
and KPRF and LDPR each have a seat in the Penza City Duma. 
The rest of the opposition entities, Yabloko, and newcomers 
Right Cause and Solidarity are not represented in the Penza 
Region.  The governor and mayor are also from United Russia. 
Governor Vasiliy Bochkarev, in power since June 1998, was 
re-elected in April 2002, and then re-appointed by Putin in 
May 2007.  Similarly, Mayor Roman Chernov is serving his 
second elected term.  Dolotov surprised us when he admitted 
that opposition parties did not get many seats in the last 
round of elections because "people did not know anything." 
 
United Russia Authorities Manipulate the People 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶3. (SBU)  Alexander Yakhontov, editor of The Peoples' World 
newspaper and a former editor of Novaya Gazeta, described to 
us on June 2 how United Russia manipulated the inhabitants of 
Penza through the use of the vertical power structure.  On 
the highest rung, in January 2008, then-President Putin and 
First Deputy Prime Minister Medvedev traveled to Penza and 
opened both a sports center and a medical facility. 
Yakhontov told us that this visit was just a tactic to garner 
votes for United Russia prior to the March 2008 presidential 
elections and that they dropped in to Penza for this staged 
event.  Yakhontov argued that the United Russia Mayor Roman 
Chernov is a puppet and that the United Russia-backed Chair 
of the Penza City Duma, Ivan Belozertsev, holds the real 
power on the local level.  He added that Mayor Chernov is 
also a puppet under Governor Bochkarev.  According to 
Yakhontov, the United Russia deputies in City Hall are 
businessmen who obey the government structure since they 
depend upon the tax service and other benefits.  He also 
described to us how heads of large companies have been forced 
to join United Russia or face negative consequences in the 
workplace, such as the threat of losing their jobs. 
 
¶4. (SBU)  Semen Vakhshtein, Chief Editor of Ekho Moskvy - 
Penza radio station, characterized the political situation as 
"absolute United Russia."  He told us that the opposition 
parties were much stronger before, but United Russia has 
since marginalized them by using its administrative resources 
as a means of pressure.  In 2002, for example, KPRF received 
38 percent of the vote in the Penza Regional elections.  KPRF 
Chairman Aleksey Ulin told us on June 3 that "United Russia 
dominates the region only because it falsifies the 
elections." 
 
¶5. (SBU)  Yakhontov cited his concern that the current 
political structure in Russia was similar to when the tsar in 
the Kremlin had representatives in regions who routinely 
obeyed and carried out orders.  According to Yakhontov, the 
contemporary political structure is also a means of obeying; 
when people do not obey they lose their jobs.  Yakhontov told 
us that there is no force or group of activists going against 
United Russia in Penza.  Yakhontov further argued that civil 
society does not exist in Penza and that people are more 
concerned with consumerism than with their political 
freedoms.  There is an overwhelming sentiment that 
individuals are unable to influence events. 
 
¶6. (SBU)  United Russia's Dolotov also manages the Pension 
Fund of the Russian Federation Penza Branch.  During our 
visit to his facility, we were struck by how the United 
 
MOSCOW 00001535  002 OF 002 
 
 
Russia party and city merged together seemlessly and provided 
benefits to the elderly.  We toured a United Russia-sponsored 
aerobics facility, a music and crafts creative area, and a 
relaxation room, all designed as places for pensioners to 
spend their leisure time--albeit under the influence of 
United Russia. 
 
Lack of Free Expression 
----------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU)  According to the editor Yakhontov, there is no free 
press in Penza.  Ekho Moskvy's Vakhshtein told us that the 
local television channels are almost all the same and they 
also report on the same topics, such as auto crashes or the 
governor.  Other than Ekho Moskvy, there is only one other 
radio station, Radio Rossiya, which plays music and does not 
broadcast news.  Yakhontov told us that Ekho Moskvy has 
15,000 listeners, but he admitted that he is not sure whether 
the station is actually influential.  He told us that 
sometimes he encounters difficulties, such as during the 
elections when he was not allowed to talk about the 
candidates.  The governor calls him frequently to question 
his opinion; he must meet with the governor to explain his 
views.  Based on these meetings, Vakhshtein developed an 
understanding with the governor and he told us that their 
relationship is "fine" now.  Vakhstein characterized Penza as 
having "partially free press."  Vakhstein believes that the 
media situation has not been free in the Penza Region since 
2002 when a journalist was murdered, seven were assaulted, 
and one was abducted. 
 
¶8. (SBU)  The Human Rights Ombudswoman, Svetlana Pinishina, 
could not provide any concrete information about human rights 
violations.  However, Yakhontov maintained that there are 
frequently human rights abuses, but they are not reported 
openly.  He told us that Solidarity maintains a list of 
abuses on its website.  In the event of an abuse, however, it 
is extremely difficult and rare to bring about justice 
through a lawsuit.  The police in the Penza Region are also 
known for applying force illegally. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶9. (SBU)  The Penza Region is yet another example of United 
Russia's influence in the regions.  With its firm grip on the 
citizens of Penza, United Russia can easily control them on 
behalf of the Kremlin.  The Penza Regional government 
likewise restricted our visit, including program movement and 
interaction to such an extent that they threatened to cancel 
our independently scheduled meetings with Yabloko and Ekho 
Moskvy representatives unless they were allowed to monitor 
them.  During the evening when we met with Yakhontov over 
dinner in a public restaurant, as if on queue when he 
mentioned that the mayor was a puppet, a stocky man 
interrupted our meeting.  We were subsequently encircled by 
four well-built men who tried to intimidate us as we 
negotiated our way to a taxi.  While the "control" in other 
regions is common, the degree in Penza belied uncertainty and 
apprehension among the government and security service 
officials. 
BEYRLE