21 June 2004 18:20
Merger with pro-Kremlin party will be "takeover" - SPS official
A merger of the Union of Right Forces party (SPS) and the right wing of One Russia is "highly unlikely",
Leonid Gozman, the secretary of the SPS Political Council, has said.
Speaking on Ekho Moskvy radio on 21 June, Gozman said:
"One Russia in its present form can hardly be our partner in a merger. It could be a partner in resolving
certain political issues, naturally, but it cannot be a partner in a merger for too many reasons. Two of them are
fundamental: we absolutely do not need this and they do not need this, either. I can say that we have never considered
any merger with One Russia. Any merger between such a monster and our party that failed to show good results at the
elections looks like the beginning of a takeover. I am absolutely sure that we shall never do that".
Asked about the political future of SPS, Gozman said that "we are not [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's
party, nor are we anti-Putin's party".
"We are the party of what is going to be after Putin. The country will reach a real crossroads when Putin hands
over his post to somebody else," he said.
"The real task is the December 2007 election to the State Duma. A liberal faction should be in the Duma. This is
even more important than a liberal faction - unfortunately missing - in the 2003 Duma. The 2003 Duma will be working
with President Putin all its term. What is going to happen in the country, the corridor of possibilities, is more or
less clear," Gozman says.
"In 2008 President Putin will hand down his post to another person. With all grievances against Putin, he is not
a Turkmenbasy and I believe that in 2008 he will pass over his authorities to somebody else. And nobody knows who this
person will be, including Vladimir Putin himself. This person could be an ardent defender of liberal principles or
otherwise. Anything may happen. Thus, a liberal faction should be present in the Duma at the moment of power
transfer," he said.
In order to do so, democratic forces should pass the 7-per-cent threshold at the next State Duma election. "We
need a coalition. All those for whom private property is important should come to the election with a single list [of
candidates]," Gozman said.
[Ekho Moskvy radio] |
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