fit
Directorate of2
Russian Politicalrimer
Most of the more tharvtwauy political parties in Russia which have reachedmember threshold necessary to officially register are democratically-oriented. Democratic Russia-still Russia's predominant democratic organization--strongly endorses Yel'tsin and his market reform program. Two other democratic organizations-Vice President Rutskoy's People's Party of Free Russia and Nikolay Travkin's Democratic Party ofbeen more critical ofrogram and haveore nationalistic stance, but continue to back Yel'tsin and his government. Ultra-nationalist, authoritarian alternatives and splinter parties of the banned former Communist Party remain internally divided, politically weak, and highly unpopular. The two major chauvinistRussian All-People's Union (ROS) and the recently formed Russian People's Assembly-have to date failed toroad following. Differences over economic policy, the pace of market reform, the cohesiveness of the Russian state, government policy towards ethnic Russians outside Russia, and the powers of the executive appear to be pushing most of the parties towards forming blocs that potentially could serveasis for electoral coalitions.
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th contributions fromand queries are welcome and may be directed to the Chief.
-CliCnBT
Tabic of
Democratic
Blocs and Umbrella2
Democratic2
Movement for Democratic
New Russia
Liberal
Democratic4
Democratic Party of
People's Party of Free
Social Democratic Party of4
Republican Party of Russia5
Russian Christian Democratic
Russian Party of Democratic
Peoples Party of
Free Labor
Peasants Party of6"
Russian Christian Democratic
Christian Democratic Union of6
Constitutional Democratic Party
Party of Constitutional
Free Democratic
Christian Democratic7
Russian Green
Democratic Union7
Russian Bourgeois Democratic7
Republican Humanitarian7
Ultra-Nationalist7
Umbrella
Russian All-People's
Ultra-Nationalist Parties.
National Republican
Liberal Democratic8
Slavic
National Prosperity
Patriotic Forces of
Russian National
ovement
Russian National Patriotic Front9
Russian Rervival
ssiskry)
Russian People's
Orthodox Constitutional Monarchist
Communist Splinter
Socialist Party of Working
Russian Communist Workers'10
Labor
All-Union Communist Party of
Union of
Russian Party of
Russian United Front of Working
Russian People's7
DEMOCRATIC ORGANIZATIONS
AC-CO RO BLOC NKTXAY TRAVKIN
MOVEMENT FOR DEMOCRATIC REFORMS
GAVfOL POPOV
NEW RUSSIA BLOCUMYANTSEV
DEMOCRATIC RUSSIA LEV PONCtMREV
PARTY or-nuUM
NRUITMVNN
rus&anp oAvenuPo
kpworm*
POV
partyFRFERJSS*
A4EX5ANDO OJIBKOr
S PARTY Of RUSSIA TEUAAROOlTAN
O(WAnC PARTY CP
nussw
RUSSIAR CHRSTMN
DEMOCRATIC iMCft
DEMOCRATIC
UHONOr RUSSW
CCrCTlTUTIONAL
TrfMOCAATtC PARTY UKHM ASIA* YEW
DEMOCRATIC PARTY
MART* Ml*
PARTY OP
cotsrmrftONAL OOAOCRATt MOOR RXOTABENi
PARTIES
OKON
PARTY
REPUBUCAft rUAAMTARAN
PARTY
YURP BORAH
lo ultra -nationalist Russian People's Assombly
ULTRA-NATIONALIST ORGAN1ZATI
umbrella movements
PEOPLE'S ASSEMBLY
viktor aksyuchits mikhail astapyev nikolay pavlov
RUSSIAN ALL-PEOPLE'S UNION
sergey baburin
parties
REPUBLICAN PARTY
NKOCAY LYSENKO
LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY
VLADIMIR ZHIRINOVSK1Y
NATIONAL PROSPERrTY PARTY
SEPGEY BABURIN
PATRIOTIC FORCES OF RUSSIA EDUARD VOLODW
MOVEMENT VIKTOR ALKSNIS
russian NATIONAL PATRIOTIC FRONT (PAMYAT) DMiTRrV VAS1UEV
RUSSIAN REVIVAL PARTY
VALERIYIVANOV
RUSSIAN PARTY VIKTOR KORCHAGIN
PEOPLE'S FRONT
VALEftlY SXURLATOV
RUSSIAN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
ALEKSANDR STERUGOV
ASSEMBLY
CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHIST PARTY
COMMUNIST SPLINTER PARTIES
PARTY OF wofiktjg PEOPLE ROY MEDVEDEV
RUSSIAN COMMUNIST WORKERS' PARTY ALEKSEY SERGEYEV
LABOR PARTY BORIS KAGARUTSKIY
ALL-UNION PARTY OF
BOLSHEVIKS
NINA ANDREYEV A
Of COMMUNISTS ALEKSEY prigarin
RUSSIAN PARTY OF COMMUNISTS
russian unted front of working people
DEMOCRATIC ORGANIZATIONS
Blocs and Umbrella Movements
Democratic Russiaounded in0 to unify the democratic,opposition, the DR actsoordinating body for many ofRussian democratic parties. Its members include theParty, the Republican Party, the Liberal Union, and theDemocratic Union, as well as thousands of individualnew leadership, elected in January, includes Russian SupremeLev Ponomarev, deputy Father Gleb Yakunin, and Yel'tsinStarovoytova. DR's large membership, close ties with theprominent role in the legislature, and relativelynetwork make it the predominant democratic organizationDR's parliamentary group controls many of the Russiancommittee chairmanships and holds many prominent positions inThe new leadership is pushing for an acceleration ofrejection of what it terms an "imperialistic" Russia-firstgreater flexibility in dealing with autonomous republics withinallowing them to become independent.ecent meeting,its support for Yel'tsin andomprehensivesimilar to Yel'tsin's plan. Former DR leader Yuriy Afanasyevthe new DR leadership for being too closely tied to Yel'tsinfrom its populist roots and mayivalercent of DR's membership now solely affiliated with DR, theof its leaders and members no longer face the problemloyalties between DR and other parties. This change instatus has allowed DR to evolveore tightlyand could increase its future political effectiveness. It.
Movement for Democratic Reformsounded in1 to unify the democratic organizations and reformist communists within the old USSR, the early MDR leadership-dominated by key advisers to former President Gorbachev such as Eduard Shevardnadze and Aleksandr Yakovlev-was largely ineffective and exercised little influence over the activities and programs of its affiliate parties. Of its original parties-Vice Presidenteople's Parry of Free Russia, the Peasants Party, the Republican Party, and the Russian Parry of Democratic Reforms-thc Peasants Party has left the MDR and the Republican Party is likely to follow. Moscow mayor Popov-the head of the newly created Russian MDR branch-and Saint Petersburg mayor Sobchak have asserted increased control and are trying to revive the MDRolitical party. From his base in Moscow, Popov likely will try to dissassociate (he MDR from its earlier pro-union stance, move the
organizationore pro-market direction, focus it on Russia, andore tightly organized, policy-oriented group. The MDR supports the general direction of Yel'tsin's economic reform plan and the Commonwealth, but hopes that the CIS can evolveore cohesive economic union. MDR's claims of one million members are grossly exaggerated; the organization has little mass following,rassroots organization, and has no representation within the legislature. However, in the near-term, the concentration of much of MDR's membership in key positions in industry and local government allows it to exercise disproportionate influence over local decisionmaking,
Peoples Accord Bloc: Formed in1 to distinguish its views fromof DR, its memhers--thc Democratic Party of Russia, theDemocratic Movementnd theParty (CDP)-later formally broke with DR. The bloc1 because of its stronger identity with Russianpreferencenion, organizational differences, andIt backs an indivisible Russia and supported Yel'tsin'sdecree authorizing the use of force in the autonomousalso has called on the government toore aggressive policyRussian minorities outside Russia, to include possibleThe decision of the RCDM and the CDP to work withundemocratic groups at February's Patriotic Congresswill split the bloc.
New Russia Bloc: Formed inhe bloc consists of the Social Democratic Party, the Peasants Party, the People's Party of Russia,reakaway faction of the Republican Party. The bloc considers its chief rivals the People's Accord Bloc and the MDR. It backs Yel'tsin and his government but claimed it will draft alternative market reform proposals. It supports prompt constitutional reform, new Russian state structures, privatisation, and cooperation between the state and private enterprise. It plans toegislative bloc |
Liberal Uniononservali veember of DR, the alliance-which includes the Free Labor Party, the Constitutional Democrats Party, the Free Democratic Party, and the Christian Democratic Party-was announced in1 to pressure Yel'tsin to move faster on radical reforms. Its leaders include newly elected DR co-chairman H'ya Zaslavskiy and prominent reformer and world chess champion Gary Kasparov, whoaction which split from DPR int is the most ardent supporter of accelerated and expanded market reforms and is less concerned with social costs. Membership probably.
TMirnET
Democratic Parties
Democratic Party of Russiaounded inhe DPR-led by Russian Supreme Soviet deputy Nikolay Travkin-remains the largest and best organized party andembershipercent of which are skilled workers, veterans, or pensioners. The DPR is pro-market and nationalistic-vocally defending Russian ethnic minorities in the other republics and backing the preservationtrong Russian state-but refuses to work with ultra-nationalist, undemocratic forces. Defections may occur because of opposition to Travkin's break with DR and his perceived dictatorial leadership style. Additionally,nitial strident opposition to Yel'tsin's Commonwealth agreement in1 and his earlier perceived pandering to nationalist extremists appears to have hurt his party politically and lost him support with the DPR. With the People's Accord Bloc splintering, DPR has announced its cooperation with Vice President Rutskoy's People's Party of Free Russiahich could form the basisotentially powerful nationalist democratic bloc However, the DPR is more pro-market than the PPFR and cooperation may be short-lived. |
People's Party of Free Russia (PPFR, formerly Democratic Party of Communists ofhe PPFR formally split from the Russian communists in earlyed by Russian Vice President Rutskoy and Vasiliy Lipitskiy, the party belongs to the MDR, but likely will reevaluate its membership in light of the MDR's problems. Rutskoy appears to serve primarily as an honorary chairman to get the party name recognition, but is not directly involved in party work; the PPFR has distanced itself from Rutskoy's nationalist appeals and increasingly strident attacks on the Russian government. The PPFR considersestern social democratic party and views price liberalisation as premature but continues to back Yel'tsin. The party supports strong executive power, elected local and Russian-level legislatures, and protections for ethnic Russian minorities. The PPFR has announced its intention to work with the DPR, but Rutskoy's and Travkin's domineering personalities will make cooperation difficult. The party's membership is probably. ("
Social Democratic Party of Russiaounded inhe SDPRR member and its chairmen include prominent Russian Supreme Soviet deputy Oleg Rumyantsev. Its members are actively involved in Yel'tsin's government and the legislature. Rumyantsev chairs the legislative committee responsible forew constitution and works closely with Yel'tsin. Yel'tsinDPR nominee, Aleksandr Shokhin, Deputy Premier for Social Policy. The SDPR hasetailed program for market reform, which included reductions of two-thirds
in military spending. The party is well-organized and0 members, f _
Republican Party of Russiahe RPR was founded In0 and its leaders include Vladimir Lysenko and Vyacheslavember of both DR and MDR, the RPR may soon leave the MDR because of its belief that Moscow mayor Popov plans to transform the MDR into his personal party. The RPR backs Yel'tsin and his government's market reforms. Factions have defected from the party, some of which probably joined the People's Accord bloc or the New Russia bloc. Membership appears to have stabilized. p
Russian Christian Democratic Union: It was founded in2 mainly in reaction to the Russian Christian Democratic Movement (RCDM) leadership's decision to associate with extremist nationalist forces. The party's leaders reportedly include Russian Supreme Soviet deputy Father Gleb Yakunin. The newR member, unified the Assembly of Christian Democratic Unions (ACDU) and several key RCDM regional organizations. The group denounced the RCDM leadership's alliance with "imperialistic national communistttacked the manipulation of social tensions and potential ethnic conflicts for political gain, and opposes attempts by nationalist extremists to associate with the Orthodox Church to gain legitimacy. The membership is unknown but could be inange.
Russian Party of Democratic Reforms: Founded inhe party is led by Moscow mayor Popov and probably forms the base for the Russian MDR branch. The party claims it will defend middle class interests and is strongly pro-market. Membership is unknown but the party has the potential toajor party by attracting more pro-market elements within MDR.
People's Party of Russiaounded inhe PPRember of the New Russia Bloc and is led by Telman Gdryan and Oleg Borodin.ell-known investigator of Communist Party corruption in the USSR,trong, mass-based party. The party considers the individual supreme and believes social democracyoor country leads to Bolshevism. Itembers. F
Free Labor Party: Founded0 by Russian entrepeneurs, theiberal Union member-is led by Igor Korovikov and considers itself ideologically close to Great Britain's Conservative Party. The party hasow profile but reportedly is well financed. Its membership hadyercent of which consists of businessmen. (
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Peasants Party of Russia: Formed inhe party-led by Yuria member of the New Russia Bloc and left the MDR in February. It advocates farm privatisation and defends the interests of family farmers. It supports Yel'tsin but believes his agricultural privatisation plan does not go far enough. The partyamilies endorse its policies.
Russian Christian Democratic Movementounded in AprilRCDM is led by Russian Supreme Soviet deputy Victorone of the premier partieslaimed membership ofs decision last year to break with DR and later to workextremists has decimated the party and ledass exodus ofThe RCDMroader societal role for theChurch and believes the dissolution of the union andwere premature.
Christian Democratic Union of Russia: Founded inhe party is led by Aleksandrormer human rights activist and political prisoner-and probably joined the newly formed Russian Christian Democratic Union. Itrogressive tax system and social welfare protections to minimize the dislocations of the free market The party has split several timestembers. r
Constitutional Democratic Party (National Freedomounded inhe CDP is led by Russian Supreme Soviet deputy Mikhail Astaf yev. It supports the restorationtrong democratic union and is concerned with the protection of national minorities. The CDP claims to be the continuation of the pre-revolutionary Cadet Party. Although itembers, the US Embassy Moscowuch smaller membership. The CDPelatively minor party with little influence; its decision to associate with nationalist extremists andgo into formal opposition to Yel'tsin will further marginalize it |
Party of Constitutional Democrats: Founded inhe partyiberal Union member and is led by Viktor Zolotarev. The party supports individual rights over national rights, non-violent solutions to political
disputes,on-ideological, law-governed state. It broke from the
Constitutional Democratic Party0 andembers. |
Free Democratic Party: Founded inhe partyiberalandimited membership. Its leaders includeSoviet deputy Marinaocal critic of Mayor SobchakPetersburg, where Ihc party's political base lies. The partyDR for becoming too closely identified with the
r.
Christian Democratic Party: Led by Aleksandr Chuyev, this Liberal Union member iselatively minor party producedplit within the Christian Democratic movementt patterns itself after the German and Italian Christian Democratic movements andembers. I
Russian Green Party: Founded inhe partyarket economyule-of-Iaw state as the best means of improving environmental protection, but has protested against price Uberalisation. The party promotes ecologically-safe energy sources and the replacement of nuclear power stations. It probablymall membership but mightegional factor in areas with serious environmental problems,
Democratic Union Party: Founded inhe party is led by Valeriya Novodvorskaya. Other democrats consider this strongly anti-communist party extremist, unpopular, and devoidolitical program. The party claim ofembers is almost certainly exaggerated, F
Russian Bourgeois Democratic Party: Registered int seeks to defend entrepreneur interests, especially small and medium property owners. The partyembers, f "
Republican Humanitarian Party: Founded inhe party is led by philosopher Yuriy Bokan. It seeks solutions to the problems of refugees, army draftees, and other less well-off members of the population. It likelyimited membership.
ULTRA-NATIONALIST ORGANIZATIONS
Umbrella Movements
Russian People's Assemblyhe RPA was founded at February's Patriotic Congress and its leaders include Russian Christian Democratic Movement (RCDM) chairman Aksyuchits, Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP) chairman Astafyev, and Russian All-People's Union (ROS) member Nikolay Pavlov. ROS chairman Baburin did not participate in the RPA's founding congress. RPA's members include RCDM, CDP, ROS, the National Republican Party, the Russian Revival Party, the Union of Russian Cossacks, as well as various Christian and nationalist groups from the Baltics, Ukraine, the Dnestr region, the Crimea, South Ossetia, and Kazakhstan. The RPA considers Russia the successor state to the USSR and believes all former republics that did not hold referendums consistent
with USSR succession laws are still pan of Russia. It opposes thegovernment and believes market reforms should bewhilearge state role in the process.and Astafyev's attempts to portray the RPA as aorganization, the RPA is dominated bygroups and has not ruled out working with the xenophobicZnirinovskiy's party. The RPA appears to encompass virtuallyultra-nationalist organization and may have several
Russian All-People's Unionounded at the endOS isRussian deputy Sergey Baburin; its co-chairmen include hardlinersand Eduard Volodin. It seeks to be an umbrella group thatthe gap between nationalist forces and former communists;includes many of the small nationalist extremist parties. ROSanti-western, undemocratic orientation andtronghopes to increase its political legitimacy by associating withparties, such as the RCDM and the CDP, and theChurch; it was one of the principal participants in thein February. ROS's membership is unknown but probably isf
Ultra-Nationalist Parties
National Republican Party: Registered intember of the RPA and is led by Nikolay Lysenko. The party seeks to revive the Russian nation and its historical traditions. It participated in and provided security at the Patriotic Congress. The party formed the Russian Nationalrivate paramilitary force of reserve officers, veterans, and factoryand sent volunteers to South Ossetia which it considers part of Russia. The party claims several thousand members. I-
Liberal Democratic Party: Foundedhe party is led by Vladimir Zhirinovskiy and plans to achieve authoritarian rule through elections. It seeks totate of emergency, use force to re-establish Russia within the borders of Czarist Russia and the USSR, and ban political parties until economic reforms are implemented. Although Zhirinovskiyercent of the vote in the1 Russian presidential elections, his outlandish statements have madeolitical pariah among the other ultra-nationalist organizations. Zhirinovskiy has made grossly exaggerated claims0arliamentary coup commission reported that the membership is less0 and is linked to the former CPSU and KGB.
Slavic Assembly (Slavyanskiyegistered in March, this self-described non-communist, non-democratic organization wants to renew Slavic spiritual life and preserve Slavic civilization. Several Russian nationalist organizations based in major CIS cities-including Yedinenietechestvo (Saintlavyarisky Soyuznd White Russiathe Polish National Party (Warsaw) founded this group. This organization may have as many0 members, i
National Prosperity Party: Founded ints sponsors include Viktor Alksnis, Sergey Baburin, and Vladimir Isakov. The party advocates an authoritarian government in which parties are banned. It promises everyhare of the nation's property. Itimited membership. I j
Patriotic Forces of Russia: Led by journalist Eduard Volodin of the traditionalist Sovetskava Rossrva. this organization denounces democrats and communists foristorically great state and opposesovernment. It demands that Russia should protect Russian ethnic minorities in the former republics. Itimited membership.
Russian National Assembly (Russkiy Natsionatnyyhiswas founded in February and its leaders includeThe Assembly claims that world Zionism controls theand demands the government's resignation. It has a
Nashi Movement: Founded ints leaders include Colonel Alksnis and television personality Aleksandr Nevzorov. The organization calls for the restoration of historic Russia and has led protests against the Baltic states and the treatment of Russian OMON figures. Itimited
Russian National Patriotic Frontounded in thes, itby Dmitriy Vasiliev and is one of the most rabid Russiangroups. Pamyat has split into several rival, no candidate openly associated with PamyatIt was supported by lessercent of the Moscow1 telephone survey.
Russian Revival Party: Founded inhis RPA member is chaired by Valeriy Ivanov and seeks to restore Russia's historical boundaries. It supports attempts by Russian ethnic minorities to rejoin Russia. The party promises everyhare of property sufficient to
t
ensure his materiel well-being and claims it will revive the middle class. The
partyembers.
Russian (Rossiskiy) Party: Founded int is an anti-Marxistby Viktor Korchagin which opposes privatisation. It supportsand chauvinist viewpoints. The party supportedin the Russian presidential elections. It has a
Russian Peopley Front: Founded inhe front is led by Valeriy Skurlatov and is affiliated with the reactionary Soyuz group. Itransfer of state property to Russian citizens and claims to support the middle class. Itimited membership. I
Onhodox Constitutional Monarchist Party: Founded inhe party seeks to unify the Russian Orthodox Church, the KGB, and the armyestored monarchy. Itimited membership.
COMMUNIST SPLINTER PARTIES
Socialist Party of Working People (SPWP, formerly Party of Left-Wing Forces of Socialisthe party was founded in1 and its leaders include former CPSU Central Committee member Roy Medvedev. The party's program is based on the1 draft CPSU program and some of its leaders reportedly believe the party is continuing the reform process Gorbachev started. The party intends toocialist democratic parliamentary party and allow for various factions and platforms. It supports the Commonwealtheans to revive the union. The party supports state-controlled price increases and gives priority to public ownership, but claims it will tolerate some private enterprise. The party has calledloc of communist and socialist forces. The party claims toembers, most of whom are reportedly intellectuals. T
Russian Communist Workers' Party (RCWP, formerly Communist Initiativeounded int considers itself the Russian Communist Party successor andeturn to pre-Gorbachev communism. The party hashadow cabinent which includes General1 presidential candidate in Russia-former USSR Central Committee member Aleksey Sergeyev, jailed putschist Vasiliy Starodubtsev, and former Riga OMON member Sergey Parfenov. It seeks the restorationlanned economy and will use all means-from parliamentary opposition to general political strikes-to oppose Yel'tsin. No
*ilff*FiT
factions are allowed. It wants to unify all communist panics and0 supporters inormer " |
Labor Party: Formed in latehe party's leadersCity Council Chairman Nikolay Gonchar, Socialist PartyKagarlitskiy, and Moscow union leader Mikhail Nagaycv. Theaction of the Marxist Platform, the Socialist Party,and Moscow's official trade unions. It considersdemocratic, socialist opposition to Yel'tsin and has called forthe liberal intelligentsia, trade unions, and other democraticpartyontinued state role in directing the economy andprograms, but claims to support private property.itself the political wing of the labor movement, it haswith the independent unions, which remain suspicious of itsItembers,
All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks (formerly Bolshevikounded int is led by Stalinist Nina Andreyeva and is an ultra-orthodox Communist Party. It seeks the re-establishmentictatorship of the proletariat and has calledass public campaign to replace Yel'tsin. The party plans to take pan in parliamentary elections. It0 membersormer republics. |
Union of Communists: Founded inhe party is led by former CPSU Central Committee member Aleksey Prigarin and hopes to serveommunist umbrella group. The pany believes the country has gone in the wrong political directionhe partyimited membership. |
Russian Party of Communists: Founded inhe parrydistorted socialism. The party supports public ownership andplanned economy, but does allow for some "marketparty supports democratic centralism. It seeks to
Russian United Front of Working People: Created inhis organization supports central planning and guaranteed full employment. Itembers.
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