 RUSSIA IN FACTS |
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13 November 2003 20:18
Eurasian Union bloc, Union of Rights Forces present platform
Private property, illegal workers from the former Soviet republics, the Chechen issue, small business and chances of
further CIS integration were the main issues covered by the Mayak 24 live-election broadcast slot at 1310 gmt on 13
November. Today's studio guests were Ruslan Aushev from the Great Russia-Eurasian Union bloc and the Leonid Gozman
from the Union of Right Forces (SPS).
What do they represent?
Ruslan Aushev, representing the Great Russia - Eurasian Union bloc, said his party included five parties. He said the
bloc had its own policy in the social and defence sectors. He said Russia was a great Eurasian state which had interests
in both the East and the West - reflected in their programme. Aushev said Russia was a multinational and multiethnic
country.
Leonid Gozman, representing the Union of Right Forces (SPS), also chairman of the Creative Council of this party,
said SPS united all people who had taken part in the life of the country in the past decade. He said the party
represented people who believed in private ownership, freedom and a state which will ensure private ownership and
freedom. Gozman said Russians should live under conditions which should be more or less the same as people in the
West.
Gozman said SPS was against the state getting involved in any financing of the election campaign of any one party. He
said his party was also holding lectures for young people in designated locations as part of their election campaign
explaining to them the party programme.
Plight of illegal workers
The two studio guests had opposing views on the issue of illegal workers and their families from the other CIS
countries living and working in Russia.
Gozman said it was a global problem facing Russia. He said high living standards in Russia - high wages and pensions,
were attracting people from other CIS countries to Russia.
He said life in Russia was much better than in neighbouring republics. He did say that such people were becoming the
subject of exploitation by the people who employ them.
As their abode in Russia is illegal they cannot benefit from medical services and their children cannot go to school.
He said this was one reason a proportion of these people ended up in organized criminal groups.
He said making such work legal for these people would actually improve the situation. He complained about the draft
citizenship law and said Russian President Vladimir Putin had done the right thing by sending it back to the Duma for
further examination. He said citizenship procedures in Russia should be simplified. He said there were millions of
Russians living abroad who wanted to live in Russia.
Aushev said the Russian population was falling whereas in Central Asia it was rising. He noted, however, that living
conditions in Kazakhstan was not that bad. He said illegal workers in Russia were afraid to approach even the law and
order agencies for help or to complain about their low or unpaid wages
Fighting corruption
Sultan Sultanovich Aushev said it was only in the last few months that the authorities in Russia had started fighting
corruption. He said there was a need to put in place a mechanism to deal with corruption - particularly to deal with
corrupt officials who take bribes.
Gozman sees a role for the media in the fight against corruption - particularly the press but conceding that it would
not be possible to wipe out corruption totally. He said SPS is convinced that it will be possible deal with this if it
is organized in a sensible way.
Aushev wants to see more public control saying that Duma deputies have no influence on what the government does.
Chechens
On the issue of Chechnya, Aushev said Iraqis and Americans were being killed in Iraq in a partisan war just as in
Chechnya. He said there are bandit groups operating in Chechnya but this did not mean that all Chechens should be
brandished as bandits.
Aushev said Chechens were a peaceloving and proud people. He said the situation in Chechnya should only be tackled by
peaceful means through talks and not by use of force.
He said a referendum and an election were held in Chechnya but only involved people who agreed with the federal
centre. What is important, he said, was to get those opposed to the federal centre on board and make them lay down their
arms.
Gozman's answer to the Chechen problem mainly centred around economic solutions. He said the situation in
Chechnya was tragic and an embarrassment for Russia. He said there was a need for dialogue. He said Chechens were living
in poverty and it was not humane. Gozman said there was a need for an effective policy to restore the republic's
economy - build new power stations to ensure electricity and energy supplies.
Further CIS integration
The two men were in favour of further integration but saw different roles for Russia. Aushev on the one hand wants
all countries in the CIS or any future union to be treated on an equal footing with Russia but Gozman on the other hand
sees Russia as a leading country in any union.
Aushev said other CIS countries were looking carefully at how the Belarus-Russia union was developing. He said the
CIS will cease to exist if the relationship is not balanced. He said any union should be mutually beneficial.
Leonid Gozman sees Russia as the leader in the post-Soviet space. He said Russian interests should be protected
through the expansion of Russian business as a minimum to post-Soviet territories.
The broadcast ended with the presenter saying that tomorrow's studio guests would be representatives from the
LDPR, the Communist Party and the People's Republic Party of Russia.
[Mayak-24 radio] | | |
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