25.04.2005
A guided flight

The recent inner-party «initiatives» of members of the pro-Putin «United Russia» party have cause a stronger reaction than its organizers expected. Within several days the United Russia’s bear gave birth to «a right» wing, and then «a left» wing. Both «wings» made almost the same statements about the party’s «unity» and admissibility of discussions within the party. After that Boris Gryzlov, the party’s zits-chairman, took the floor and even newcomers to politics might have understood that all these initiatives had a propagandistic nature.

Both, the right and the left wing almost did not contradict each other and on major issues their positions appeared to be so close that Gryzlov’s anger lacked persuasiveness. So, expressing «concerns» over some «political tendencies," «the wings» swore loyalty to «Putin’s reforms» (what is basically the same), and expressed their love and admiration to Putin and it was high time to publish a lyrical collection.

Clearly, this genetic experiment of turning «the bear» (United Russia’s symbol) into a flying creature was planned in the Kremlin. But what for? Does the Kremlin question the efficiency of its own mechanism of «guided democracy» on the threshold of the parliamentary and presidential elections and had to stage such party show? The right «wing» was the first to appear and its appearance became a sensation: «a riot?» But when «the new left wing» came up with a similar initiative, the drama immediately turned into a cheap farce. It is unknown for how long «the wings» will amuse themselves with their «press-conferences," but they will obviously fail to attract electorate on the right and on the left.

The Kremlin’s plans, however, become obvious: it would like to have not one party in the State Duma, but two or three parties which «opposition» and «disagreement on a number of questions» will exist only in plans of political technologists (such as Pavlovsky) and in their own newspapers.

The recent sitting of «the general council of the party» became a weak attempt to add realism to «the intrigue»: Gryzlov promised to prevent «a split» and a member of the general council, «new leader» Isayev said that «at the next parliamentary elections the party can split into two factions."

But that was not the only peculiar feature of «the general council." In a solemn atmosphere Gryzlov handed a party member card to «Chechnya’s president» Alu Alkhanov. In turn the bewildered «president» could only pronounce that «it was a great honor and responsibility for him." Being an experienced politician Alkhanov declined to comment on which wing he would join. Alkhanov knows that he will be a member of the party as ordered by «the party." Today, this is United Russia. The name of the next presidential «group» in the State Duma remains unknown. Unlike its goals and tasks.

Reincarnating «the new USSR," Putin chooses spiritually acceptable goals. His major task today is to strengthen power in the hands of KGB generals and at the same time to create an illusion that Russia is governed not by powerful secret services, but certain «parties» subjected to «inter-party discussions» and left or right sways. And «inner sways» of United Russia – is a part of this plan aimed at distracting attention from Putin’s latest initiatives having almost nothing in common with «a progressive movement towards democracy."
The Chechen Times
http://www.chechentimes.org/en/comments/?id=28380