Friday, Feburary 20th 7th Period

Political Parties

Old Soviet Union

• Decision making and appointments for party positions made at the top levels of government (Politboro)
  
• New parties began to win seats under Yeltsin but also created competition with his own party

Modern Russia

• In 1995 42 parties competed but only 4 won seats
• in 1999 only 26 parties competed
• New party called United Russia formed in 1999 around Putin and won a number of seats
• December 2003 23 parties were competing but Communist Party and United Russia were the only major ones
• A new party called Motherland was approved by Putin and set out to destroy Communist Party as its goal
• The 2003 Duma election resulted in United Russia 37.1%, Communist Party 12.7%, Liberal Democratic Party 11.6%, Motherland 9.1%, and Yabloko 4.3%
• Yabloko didn't win any seats in the Duma because it won less than the 5% needed to capture a seat
• In 2006 Fair Russia is set up by the government with the intent to supress the Communist Party similar to the role of Motherland
  
• In 2007 United Russia won 315 out of 450 seats in the Duma, which gives them the two-thirds majority necessary to ammend the constitiution, Communist Party 57 seats, Liberal Deomocratic Party 40 seats, Fair Russia 38 seats
• 2007 election signlas the end of transisition to western style democracy
• Russia is a "Floating Democracy" meaning that its parties focus on political personalities rather than issues
• In 2007 Putin passed a law that raised the votes required to get a seat in the Duma from 5% to 7% which caused 35 parties to disband soon thereafter
• The Law also required parties to have functioning branches in 45 regions with at least 500 supporters for each, and 50,000 supporters nationwide to run in national elections

Communist Party

• Far left wing party but not really that radical
• Calls for greater state protection of industry
• More social security
• Slower privitization

United Russia

• Led by and completely centered around Putin and support of Putin's policies

Unity

• Formed in 2000 as a regional party
• Labeled as "party of power"
• Formed by the Oligarchs to support their interests

Fatherland-All Russia

• Leaning coalition party

Fair Russia

• Created in 2006 as a junior party and formed from from 3 smaller parties including Motherland
• Set out to destroy Communist Party
• Failed to defeat Communist Party and will therefore not last much longer

Liberal Democrats

• In favor of State control of the economy and other radical ideas
• Leder of party despised seeing the Soviet Union lose its power and influence on the world stage
  
• Became one of Yeltsin's strongest supporters
• Putin's election gave the party a boost after it grew less popular under Yeltsin

Motherland

• Attacked imprisoned Oligrachs
• Very nationalistic
• Set up to support Putin and take votes from Communist Party