On Wednesday evening a meeting of the Board of the democratic coalition, which includes representatives of all its parties, PARNAS, an unregistered “progress Party” Alexei Navalny, “the Democratic choice” Vladimir Milov, December 5 Party, the libertarian party and the movement “Solidarity”. As told by two participants in the meeting, there were fixed fundamental disagreements about tactics in the primaries and the compilation of electoral lists, and following the event on the actual output of the election the coalition announced supporters Navalny and Milov.
The meeting participants pointed out the lack of interest of voters to the primaries of the democratic coalition, financial and organizational problems in the organization of primaries and put the question of whether quotas Kasyanov to first place in the election list. Previously, the question of first place was raised by the Chairman of PARNAS Ilya Yashin. After the screening of the film “Kasyanov day,” on NTV, dedicated to the chair of PARNAS Mikhail Kasyanov and his relationship with his colleagues in the coalition, Yashin urged Kasyanov to participate in the primaries along with all, to “confirm the right to leadership and to bring the coalition from the blow, but he turned out to be.
Yashin in protest refused to participate in the primaries. It was followed by the lawyer of FBK Ivan Zhdanov, who said that members of the democratic coalition will not be able to reverse a huge anti-rating of the leader of the list”.
“December 5 party” has offered to resolve the issue with the first place in the list through a referendum, said party co-founder Konstantin Jankauskas. “We offered to give supporters of the democratic coalition the opportunity to vote whether they consider a fair reserve of the first places in the list without holding primaries,” he explained. This would stimulate interest in the primaries, and would resolve the thorny issue as democratic as possible, explained Jankauskas.
Of course, what he did against Kasyanov [videotaped his private life] is a crime, Navalny said before the meeting Wednesday. “However, this does not negate the fact that we need to hold primaries. If the leader of the list not sure that he can take first place in the primaries, he’s probably not a very good leader list”. — added Bulk.
At the meeting on Wednesday, the four parties supported the proposal of Jankauskas, however, PARNAS vetoed it. The head of the election Commission primaries, the Deputy Chairman of PARNASSUS Konstantin Merzlikin has explained that this idea cannot be discussed as “must run all the basic arrangements”. “The list is formed according to the results of the primaries in the Federal list, there are three positions that must be filled in are invited. These individuals include Kasyanov, who agreed to the invitation. Other work is being carried out”, — he stressed.
In turn, the interlocutor of the “Party of progress” reported that supporters of Navalny believe: agreements about the reservation of only one, not three places at the top of the list.
The representatives of the “Party of Progress” in the same meeting gave the coalition partners a written statement, in which he proposed “to act in the interest of voters: “Based on two main agreements reached during the creation of the Democratic coalition: electoral lists are only created at the base of PARNASSUS, and are formed through the process of open primaries, the entire electoral list of the coalition forming through the primaries without any exceptions and privileges”.
That proposal was also blocked by the PARNAS party.
Partners Kasyanov at the election of the coalition and accusing him of disrupting the organization and funding of primaries: colleagues hoped that the former Prime Minister will be able to raise the necessary funds to promote this campaign. The burden of political leadership means more responsibility for the campaign, both in financial terms and in organisational, said Jankauskas. “Everyone was counting on it. But this did not happen — all the costs were distributed equally among all participants of the democratic coalition, including much more modest our party and Libertarian. It looks strange,” he explained.
Argued and around the distribution mandate in popular districts. All parties were in favour of distribution through their primaries, the producer was blocked, and this idea, but reserved the right to distribute, who is from what district can be nominated.
Then the Chairman “the democratic choice” Vladimir Milov left the meeting, Navalny said that under such conditions the progress Party loses interest in participating in the democratic coalition.
Milov said that does not see sense to continue to participate in the primaries, as it does not see prospects list, led by Kasyanov and does not consider it possible to explain to the electorate for his actions. “I don’t want to spend their resources on obviously disastrous campaign, how it was not hard for me,” he explained. — I am very disappointed that Kasyanov did not consider it possible to take into account the views of other participants of the democratic coalition, he took unilateral decisions. The coalition doesn’t work. Approach Kasyanov is not very compatible with the format of the coalition, and we jammed to it soldiers, we consider ourselves partners.”
The democratic coalition in this election has collapsed, says Milov. As for the members of the democratic choice of the regions, the party will leave them the freedom of choice, said its leader.
The democratic coalition will continue to exist as a political phenomenon, as it brings together non-systemic opposition, however, will not form a single election list for the elections of the state Duma, Navalny said following the meeting.
Merzlikin after the meeting, did not respond to calls .
