Progress Party (Russia)

Progress Party
Партия Прогресса
Leader Alexei Navalny
Founded February 8, 2014 (2014-02-08)
Headquarters Moscow, Russia
Ideology Liberalism
E-democracy
Pro-Europeanism
Russian nationalism
Political position Centre-right
European affiliation None
International affiliation None
Colours Turquoise, White
Seats in the State Duma
0 / 450
Seats in the Regional Parliaments
0 / 3,787
Website
partyprogress.org (Russian)

The Progress Party (Russian: Па́ртия Прогрéсса; Partiya Progressa) formerly the People’s Alliance (Russian: Наро́дный Алья́нс; Narodnyiy Alyans) is a political party in Russia led by the Anti-Corruption Foundation head Alexei Navalny and opposed to Russian President Vladimir Putin and his United Russia party.

The party's platform stands for the decentralization of power in Russia, cutting the number of government officials, lustration for those responsible for political repressions, reducing the president’s powers, possibly switching to a parliamentary republic and ensuring the independence of the judiciary. It also stipulates "drastically reducing" government interference in the economy, ending censorship, prohibiting the government from owning media outlets and abolishing conscription.

The foreign policy plank calls for introducing visas with Central Asia, stopping support for "rogue states" and partnering up with Western countries.[1]

History

Origins

Alexei Navalny was elected as the party’s chairman on 17 November 2013.

The People’s Alliance party was founded on 15 December 2012 at the party’s founding congress. Initially, Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny declined to join the political party which was formed mostly by his followers.[2]

People’s Alliance is my party, but I don’t think that right now People’s Alliance needs another member who spends his time torn between the Investigative Committee and some court hearing involving Rosneft. Yet it is my party; it represents my interests.
— From Alexei Navalny’s speech during the founding congress of 15 December 2012

But on 30 April 2013 the Ministry of Justice of Russia suspended the registration of the party[3] and then on 5 June 2013 denied its registration.

After participating in the Moscow mayoral election of 2013 where Navalny received 27.24% of the vote, or the second highest number, with Vladimir Putin’s ruling party candidate Sergey Sobyanin receiving 51.37% of the vote, Navalny said that he was ready to lead the People’s Alliance.

I shall join it, no doubt about that. If I am elected, I shall lead the People’s Alliance. I believe that this party is the closest to me. Yet I stayed out of it for the simple reason I was certain that otherwise it would be denied registration for sure.
— From Navalny's speech during his visit to the radio station Echo of Moscow on 15 September 2013

He also expressed his desire to run for Moscow City Duma elections in 2014 together with the People’s Alliance party.[4]

On 17 November 2013 the second founding congress of the party was held in Moscow with 111 delegates from 48 regions participating.[5] The 108 delegates from regional branches gave Navalny 88 of the votes and he was elected as the party’s chairman.[6] During his address to the delegates, Navalny said that the People’s Alliance party will again file a request for registration with the Justice Ministry.

I hope the party will be registered this time. If it is not, we will get a fresh confirmation of the authorities empty rhetoric about it being tolerant to the opposition taking part in the elections.
— From Navalny’s statement before the party’s congress on 17 November 2013

Later it was revealed that economic section of party’s platform was created by Sergei Guriev, former Rector at the New Economic School (NES).

On 20 January 2014 the Justice Ministry has denied registration to the People’s Alliance political party, citing the existence of another organization with the same name.[7]

On 8 February 2014 the party convention decided to rename the People’s Alliance party to the Progress Party.[8]

On 25 February 2014 Progress Party has passed the first stage of registration at the Ministry of Justice.[9] For the party to be fit for the election in autumn, the registration process should be completed by mid-June. Before that Progress Party should register at least 43 regional branches, and after that it is required to file a registration application at the ministry again.

On April 2014 the Justice Ministry rejected the applications to register the branches of the Progress Party due to the "mistake in constituent documents".[10]

On 28 January 2015 Moscow's Zamoskvoretsky district court declined the party's protest against the refusal of the Justice Ministry to enter it in the register of parties entitled to take part in elections.[11]

From 75 registered parties we have become the only one to be pushed aside from the elections.
— From the party's lawyer Dmitry Krainev's statement after the court on 28 January 2015

On 1 February 2015 Progress Party held a convention that was attended by 62 delegates from 50 regional branches. Despite the fact that Progress Party is not included in the federal list of political forces allowed to run in elections it intends to prepare for the 2016 elections to the State Duma and region legislatures.[12]

We will continue working for participation in elections. The probability that we won't be allowed to any elections is very high. But work to prepare candidates should be conducted already now in case snap elections are held.
— From Navalny’s statement before the party’s congress on 1 February 2015

On 28 April 2015 the party was deprived of registration.[13]

Electoral results

Mayoral elections

Supported by the Progress Party Moscow mayoral candidate Navalny got 27% of votes — more than other opposition candidates altogether.
Election year Candidate 1st round 2nd round
# of overall votes % of overall vote # of overall votes % of overall vote
2013 Alexei Navalny 632,697 27.24 (#2)

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Navalny's Party Holds Founding Congress for Third Time". 18 November 2013.
  2. ↑ "Navalny Declines to Join His Own Party". 15 December 2012.
  3. ↑ "Navalny's Party Hits Hitch in Registration Bid". 6 May 2013.
  4. ↑ "Navalny Hopes to Run for City Duma With People's Alliance". September 17, 2013.
  5. ↑ "People's Alliance party of Navalny's supporters opens founding congress in Moscow". November 17, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Navalny becomes People's Alliance party leader". 17 November 2013.
  7. ↑ "Navalny Party Denied Registration Over Name". January 20, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Navalny caves in to freemasons, renames party". February 10, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Opposition party led by Navalny passes first stage of registration". February 28, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Mistake in constituent documents prevents registration of Navalny party's branches". April 9, 2014.
  11. ↑ "Navalny's Party Forbidden to Take Part in Elections". January 28, 2015.
  12. ↑ /"Navalny's party to continue working for participation in elections". February 1, 2015.
  13. ↑ ""Партию прогресса" Навального лишили регистрации". BBC Русская служба. Retrieved 2015-05-20.
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