Putin Remained. Protest Went Away. People Didn’t Understand Anything. What’s Next?

Thanks God - elections passed. Putin won and oppositional circus got dissolved. All wait for May Day so that … to go to their country houses. We endured the deepest marasmus of our opposition. All came to the end so as if there were no last three months. Who lives in the Kremlin? Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin still lives.

Whether there could be different result? No! Only this. Point. Purposeful destruction of what is called in the world policy and politicians has been carrying out in Russia for the whole decade (from the zero years). Putin left growing old Zyuganov and Zhirinovsky, silent Mironov and shouting liberals to us. That’s all. Here you are all policy. Parliament is not the proper place for debates, it is possible to chat on Mayakovka. Once a month as well as in pre-trial center.

What did Bolotnaya and Sakharov’s Squares give us? It was clear from the very beginning that protest against elections is local and transient. Elections passed, we all forgot. Opposition should have prepared the program, should have formed organization, but liberals sorted out relations, celebrated new year and gave the power chance to rearrange forces and to prepare the answer. This moment of temporary attack on him Putin quickly turned into the death of opposition.

The big problem for holding a meeting was that the protest was monopolized by liberals. Thus the protest was joined by the communists, the nationalists and everything mixed up. It is clear that such organizational structure couldn’t be long and successful.

Many try now to find guilty, calling surnames of these or that liberal leaders. The problem is absolutely different. The situation reminds me a plot with "heroes" of the program "DOM-2". They always look for a sacrificial goat there. But there’s only one way out. It is necessary to close this program and to explain young people that it is necessary to live real life, instead of “building love”. Proceeding from this formula I say that all structure of opposition isn't capable to organize opposition. Because they aren't able and don't want to do it. Their tasks are absolutely simple and different.

Whether opposition has prospects? Yes, it has, but it’s necessary to create it first. I am sure that new opposition will appear from bitter lessons of today's loss of elections. The main thing is that it shouldn’t get wages from the power. Independent people with brains are necessary. Only then Putin will really cry.

It’s absent for a while. I want to tell at once that one shouldn’t unite today's opposition. Today it should be cleaned thoroughly from a smell of “political impotence”. It is big and difficult work. It will take long time.

At first opposition should learn to formulate its position. It’s first rule. There should be prevalence of theses “pro”, not “contra” in the position of opposition. In Russia they don't like those who are contra. Positive program is necessary. Attempts of bolshevism of the beginning of XX century won’t ever pass

The second. All together should do “simple thing” - to start creation of uniform organization which can head protest movement.

Social movement “Democratic Russia” showed good experience in 1990. Three years - and Gorbachev's power fell. There are a lot of things to learn there. Only it’s necessary to do everything serious-mindedly, not just to copy primitively. Special attention - to that fact that Russia needs today social movement, not political party. Movement is always wider and more powerful, while the party is always limited.

One more important thing. It is necessary to allow social movements and organizations to participate in elections. It will help opposition with new personnel.

The third. Opposition should understand that it’s impossible to win elections following operating electoral laws. It is necessary to change laws and then to go on elections.

Here you are special thought for fans of revolution. There will be no revolution in Russia. What will be? Inappreciable help to a mode in the form of failed revolution, dictatorship for other approximate 30-40 years. Therefore there’s no use to choose this way.

The fourth. Opposition should go to the local governments and to receive mandates into the local government, then to win in the regional parliament. It will allow opposition to create reference points for growth of forces all vertical over. Only after that it is possible to go on elections to the Duma. Then the end - single candidate on Presidential elections.

The fifth. It is necessary to lobby a question about dismissal of the nomenclature of the period of 1991-2012. They can't be allowed to elections. Laws of lustration should act in connection with them. Here you are thoughts for corrections of mistakes for opposition, then it will be necessary to start serious work on political cultivation of opposition. Then we will manage to win. I want to believe in it. But it is necessary to become opposition for this purpose. (To be continued).

Аlexander Lebedev, editor-in-chief of TV “People’s Initiative"

Send by mail

Print