Gennady Zyuganov was re-elected chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation. The main event for the communists was the “rejuvenation” of the top leadership: 40-year-old Yuri Afonin was elected to one of the key positions of deputy chairman of the Central Committee for organizational issues. In connection with the resignation from the post of deputy chairman Valery Rashkin, who last years came up with radical initiatives, the party again stated that the “tendency to compromise” was taking over. The delegates also spoke about the problems and reproached Gennady Zyuganov for his reluctance to criticize the president and the government.
At the congress, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation renewed the composition of the Central Committee by a third. The permanent Gennady Zyuganov was again unanimously elected Chairman of the Central Committee, and Nikolai Ivanov was elected Chairman of the updated Central Control and Audit Commission. The first deputy chairman of the Central Committee, Ivan Melnikov, who, as before, will head the party’s election headquarters, retained his position. The leadership of the party “headquarters of protest actions” remains with Vladimir Kashin, who was again elected deputy chairman of the Central Committee. “Ideology and Propaganda” will again be supervised by the Deputy Chairman of the Central Committee, Dmitry Novikov.
One of the main personnel decisions made by Gennady Zyuganov was the change of the deputy in charge of all organizational and party work. This post was taken by Yuri Afonin. Since 2013, as secretary for organizational work, Mr. Afonin has been in charge of work with personnel; before that, he was secretary for youth affairs (one of his ideas at that time was to promote the image of “young Stalin” in order to captivate modern Russian youth with him).
Valery Rashkin was also involved in organizational work as a secretary from 2004 to 2013. As the curator of the organizational department, he was involved in the dispersal of the capital’s branch in 2009, which came into conflict with the leadership of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation. After this, Gennady Zyuganov entrusted him with heading the Moscow city committee, and also gave him the post of deputy chairman of the Central Committee. Now the situation has changed: it has been decided that it is inappropriate for Mr. Rashkin to combine two posts. Gennady Zyuganov explained his demotion to a member of the presidium and his replacement with Yuri Afonin by the fact that in Moscow Mr. Rashkin has “no end of work.” “I don’t see a downgrade in status,” Mr. Rashkin told Kommersant. “Moscow remains the main platform for all rallies and pickets.” At the same time, he admits that “we need to act sharper, be more assertive and decisive.”
The release of Valery Rashkin from office may mean that a “tendency towards conciliation” will finally take hold in the leadership of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, says one of the members of the Central Committee. The practice of the Moscow City Committee does not always coincide with the tactics of the leadership of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation. Thus, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation faction in the State Duma approved in the first reading a bill on the renovation of five-story buildings in the capital, but Moscow communists joined in holding protest actions. The Communist Party faction in the Moscow City Duma refused to approve the city renovation bill. Also, Mr. Valery Rashkin sent a parliamentary request to verify the facts set out in Alexei Navalny’s film “He’s Not Dimon to You,” which talks about property allegedly used by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. After this, other deputies of the Communist Party faction began to work on instructions to the Security Committee for an official request to law enforcement agencies on the same topic (the request was not supported).
The secretariat of the Central Committee (which manages the current work of the party) has also become younger. The secretaries of the Central Committee were the leader of the Communist Party faction in the Moscow City Duma Andrei Klychkov, the leader of the Komsomol Vladimir Isakov, as well as an employee of the organizational department of the Central Committee Maria Drobot - the latter two are called close to Yuri Afonin. The exact distribution of their functionality in the party will be dealt with later. Ex-State Duma deputy Sergei Obukhov will oversee information and analytical work and elections, ex-deputy Vadim Solovyov will be busy with legal issues.
On the eve of the congress, at the plenum of the former Central Committee, there were “both complaints and harsh criticism” about the work of the party, one of the delegates told Kommersant. Thus, Yuri Afonin, according to him, does not suit some of his comrades because he “took on the role of the main negotiator with the presidential administration.” Dmitry Novikov was reproached for the ineffectiveness of “propaganda” and preparation of campaigning for election campaigns. Gennady Zyuganov did not escape criticism either. “Some compared the current situation with the times of the late Brezhnev (he led the CPSU party and the country of the USSR from 1964 to 1982.— "Ъ")," one of the participants in the meeting told Kommersant on condition of anonymity. The congress delegates might recall the manner of speech of Leonid Brezhnev, when Mr. Zyuganov, speaking with his report, stumbled, repeatedly reading the same line.
Former State Duma deputy, employee of the Mathematical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences Boris Kashin told Kommersant that behind closed doors they spoke more openly: “There was a serious analysis of the situation and harsh criticism of the leadership.” One of the complaints against the leadership is the “lack of criticism of Putin.” “It’s time to call things by their proper names, otherwise during the elections people will not understand how we differ from the current government,” said Mr. Kashin. Echoes of that criticism were heard at the congress on May 27 only in the speech of Kirov Regional Duma deputy Marina Sozontova, who was surprised that in the report of the Central Committee she did not hear the names of either the president or the head of government. The delegates reacted to this phrase with thunderous applause. Gennady Zyuganov did not clap, but closing remarks advised: “If you want your voice to be listened to, bring 5-10 thousand people to a demonstration. Do you want tomorrow to be new line-up government, organize a demonstration of 100 thousand in Moscow.”
The topic of a presidential candidate, no less important for many in the leadership of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, was not raised at the congress. The Communist Party of the Russian Federation believes that it will be relevant closer to autumn.
The Kremlin Laundress telegram channel, which publishes political reviews and analytics, “shared” information that the first secretary of the Moscow city committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, Valery Rashkin, is one step away from losing the seat he has held since 2010:
In the fall, re-elections of the leadership secretaries, including its first secretary, are planned in the Moscow city committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation. The current first secretary is Valery Rashkin, for a long time who was actually in conflict with the composition of the Central Committee and directly with Gennady Zyuganov, today is making every effort to make amends to the above-mentioned (individuals). After all, without Zyuganov’s blessing, it is impossible by definition to be re-elected to a leadership position in the capital’s city party committee in the Communist Party of the Russian Federation.
Leader of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation Gennady Zyuganov (foreground) and first secretary of the Moscow city committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation Valery Rashkin (left in the background). Photo: Sergey Fadeichev/TASS
Sources in the Communist Party of the Russian Federation confirmed to Tsargrad that there has long been talk in the party that Rashkin has held his post for too long and has shown himself to be not the most effective functionary. The management is so dissatisfied with him that all funding was cut off. In addition, sources claim that the first secretary of the Moscow city committee has no supporters left among the Communist Party of the Russian Federation faction in the State Duma. The authors of the post posted on the Telegram channel develop the idea and are confident that it was precisely because of his weak positions that Rashkin so actively began to support Vadim Kumin, nominated for the post of mayor from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation:
This is the reason for Rashkin’s zealous support for Vadim Kumin, a candidate for mayoral elections in Moscow, brought down from above. In the not so distant future, Rashkin quite seriously expected to run as a candidate himself in these elections, but a public recommendation from the party leader forced him to set new priorities. Now, having supported and provided, to the best of his ability, the election campaign of Vadim Kumin, which is meeting resistance from ordinary party members on all sides, Rashkin expects to retain his warm place at the autumn conference of the city committee.
Didn't fit into the communist business model
The decision to nominate Kumin was made for a reason. According to sources in communist party, the leadership is trying to nominate for presidential, mayoral and other elections those who are able to pay for the election campaign and replenish the party’s coffers. According to them, Kumin is a wealthy man, he held the post of first deputy for a long time general director JSC VO Technopromexport is a general contractor for the construction of energy facilities in Russia and abroad.
The same, by no means communist, business model was followed by presidential elections: large businessman Pavel Grudinin could easily afford it and was unlikely to offend the party leadership for the opportunity to compete at the main political event in the country. Rashkin is sufficient financial resources does not have, and therefore does not represent, from the point of view of the top party leadership, any particular interest as a candidate.
Pavel Grudinin. Photo: www.globallookpress.com
Accumulated
Among other things, Rashkin has a long trail of high-profile political failures. On the last municipal elections in Moscow, held in the fall of 2017, the party performed extremely poorly, as a result of which the number of its deputy mandates was reduced from 203 to 159.
In addition, under red banners, outright Russophobes infiltrated the councils of municipal deputies, even such inviolable things as symbols of victory in the Great Patriotic War.
Rashkin accused Putin of having connections with Khodorkovsky
Rashkin’s constant war with the head can also be called an outright failure. Russian state Vladimir Putin. One of the latest curiosities is the president's relations with Mikhail Khodorkovsky.
Finally, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation recently lost a high-profile case in court regarding the protection of honor, dignity and business reputation. At the instigation of Rashkin, it was distributed fake information, that “the government officially allowed the management of Rosneft to steal.” It's about on permission from the Ministry of Economic Development to hide commercial information of a key energy company for the country. Then the court will find that the articles contain information that is untrue and discredits business reputation. This scandal seriously damaged the positions of the leadership of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation and the party as a whole.
In addition, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation also has a long tradition of confrontation between federal and Moscow leaders, which always ends in the defeat of the latter. Political scientist Fyodor Biryukov insists on this scenario:
There's nothing new here. I think that this tradition of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation will be continued, since finding new bright politicians at the federal level is not included in the plans of the general leadership of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation. Therefore, during the autumn re-elections, it is quite possible that Rashkin will be removed and some more loyal figure will emerge.
It turns out that, regardless of the results of the mayoral elections, for which he is also responsible, only a miracle can save Rashkin. But since communists are characterized by materialistic thinking and denial spiritual world, it turns out that his political fate is sealed.
What did the communists agree on at the congress?
On the eve of the presidential elections, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation is strengthening party discipline by demoting one of its most active representatives, State Duma deputy Valery Rashkin. Communists will go to the polls with old program, but with which candidate is still unknown
Gennady Zyuganov during the congress (Photo: Kristina Kormilitsyna / Kommersant)
Without Rashkin
On Saturday, May 27, the 17th Congress of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation was held in Moscow, at which the party summed up the work over the past four years and elected new leadership. Gennady Zyuganov was re-elected Chairman of the Central Committee (Central Committee) of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation.
Changes occurred in the composition of his deputies - Valery Rashkin was replaced by his colleague in the Duma faction Yuri Afonin, who in Lately supervised organizational work in the party (he retained this functionality in his new position).
Zyuganov suggested that Rashkin, who heads the Moscow city committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, concentrate on work in Moscow, participants in the party’s plenum following the congress told RBC. Deputy Chairman of the Central Committee Dmitry Novikov, commenting on Rashkin’s demotion to reporters, said that he remains in the leadership of the party, meaning that he retained his membership in the presidium of the Central Committee.
“Rashkin is like a powder keg for Zyuganov,” an interlocutor in the party explained the politician’s removal to RBC. Rashkin is one of the most media-rich State Duma deputies. He actively spoke at rallies in Moscow against paid parking, insisted on checking the real estate data of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, set out in the investigation of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The Moscow City Committee headed by him held a rally against the renovation of housing in Moscow, although Zyuganov supported the corresponding bill, which is being considered by the Duma.
By removing Rashkin from the post of deputy chairman of the Central Committee, the party leadership wants to strengthen discipline on the eve of the presidential campaign, says political scientist Abbas Gallyamov. “Rashkin acts very independently, and, apparently, the party leadership is fed up with his initiative. This decision should reassure both himself and those who were guided by him. They will understand that they need to focus not on Rashkin, but on Zyuganov,” he explains.
It is now important for the party to perform more successfully in the presidential elections than in the Duma, says Gallyamov. The Communist Party of the Russian Federation barely retained second place, receiving slightly more votes than the Liberal Democratic Party. “The result in the Duma elections is a consequence of the lack of focus of the campaign. The communists went on too broad a front, they tried to cover too many topics, and as a result they did not have enough resources to convey any of them,” Gallyamov noted. That is why, according to the political scientist, in the presidential elections the Communist Party of the Russian Federation so needs party discipline and does not need amateur activity. “All party speakers should say the same thing, and not so that each party member comes with his own ideas,” explains the political scientist.
Rashkin told RBC that he did not think he had been demoted. “All the rallies take place in Moscow, Putin and Medvedev are here,” he explained. The politician assured that “his work will not weaken.”
Valery Rashkin (Photo: Vyacheslav Prokofiev / TASS)
Autumn candidate
At the congress, Zyuganov continued to avoid answering the question about the candidate of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation who will run in the presidential elections in March 2018. He told reporters that the party had not yet decided on him. Answering the question whether he was ready to participate in the elections, Zyuganov said that as the leader of the largest party he should be ready.
The candidate will not be announced before the fall, State Duma deputy and head of the party's press service Alexander Yushchenko told RBC. The party really has no decision on the candidacy, a party source told RBC.
“Zyuganov will only go to the polls if he is sure that he will take at least second place; if this doesn’t happen, then he won’t go,” explains RBC’s interlocutor in the Communist Party of the Russian Federation. Now Zyuganov, according to the party’s internal opinion polls, is second place to the leader of the LDPR, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, RBC’s source knows. “Hence this is trampling and a waste of time, because if it is not Zyuganov, then a new candidate already needs to be promoted,” he says.
The Communist Party of the Russian Federation may nominate one of the “business executives” - the governor of the Irkutsk region Sergei Levchenko or the mayor of Novosibirsk Anatoly Lokt (as a result of this congress, he joined the presidium of the Central Committee), the source says. There is another candidate in the media - 40-year-old Yuri Afonin. According to RBC's interlocutor, they all have minimal recognition.
If the Communist Party of the Russian Federation makes a good focused campaign, then the party will easily take 20-25% in the presidential elections, Gallyamov believes. According to him, the content of the campaign is much more important than personality candidate. “They need to get away from personalities and try to turn the elections into a referendum on the issue of ideology,” the political scientist believes.
The strategy of the presidential campaign will depend on who will run, former State Duma deputy Sergei Obukhov, who is responsible for information and analytical work in the party, told RBC.
For the elections
At the congress, Zyuganov read out excerpts from a political report of the party Central Committee specially prepared for this event. The document was published in advance on the party website. Regarding the presidential elections, it says that “to rely only on elections is naive,” since “they will bring victory only when revolutionary sentiment grows in society.” The report also notes that it is “important for communists to intensify the struggle for freedom political activity"on the street".
However, responding to a request from journalists to clarify what he means by revolution, Zyuganov explained that the Communist Party of the Russian Federation calls for “a revolution, first of all, justice, scientific and technological progress" “The Kiev option does not suit us,” he added.
The Communist Party of the Russian Federation is obliged to use participation in elections to promote its ideas, Zyuganov concludes.
The presidential candidate from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation will scold Vladimir Putin, assures RBC Yushchenko. But he found it difficult to say why exactly. The party report only says that “for more than seventeen years, power in the country has been irreplaceable” and “official propaganda convinces mass consciousness in danger of the president's departure." Zyuganov did not say anything about this during his speech.
The head of the department spoke at the congress domestic policy President Andrey Yarin. Before this, Zyuganov emphasized that the Communist Party of the Russian Federation stands “for a constructive dialogue with all branches of government.” Yarin read out a greeting from Putin, who praised the party for its “balanced approach when discussing key problems of Russia’s development,” as well as for the party’s sought-after work, aimed, in particular, at “ patriotic education youth." The President also noted that he expects “to continue the constructive partnership.”
The communist report accuses the political regime in Russia of “monopolizing power in the hands of the president and a narrow circle of close associates,” “non-publicity in making key decisions,” “establishing political censorship,” “lack of independent justice,” and “total corruption.”
The Communist Party of the Russian Federation does not have to harshly criticize Putin, says Gallyamov. Unlike other parties, the communists have an ideology that is sympathetic to quite a lot big number voters, they just need to change the mechanisms of its presentation, says Gallyamov: “The words themselves that they use - capitalism, bourgeoisie - are from the past, they need to update the terminology, and then they will be able to do without mentioning Putin at all.”
The candidate from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation will go to the presidential elections with the program with which the party participated in the State Duma elections last year. In February last year, the party presented the program “10 steps to a decent life" “This will be the basic material of the election campaign, which we have already begun,” Zyuganov told reporters.
These ten points will be described in more detail than in the Duma elections, Obukhov explained to RBC. Among the proposals are the return of the oil and gas industry to the state, Russia’s withdrawal from the WTO, the revival of large-scale agricultural production, state control over prices, the abolition of VAT, and the abolition of fees for major repairs. The communists also promise to “surround with care” young people, museums and theaters.
Valery Rashkin himself - as well as Zyuganov, who was re-elected to the post of party chairman - does not consider the decision of the congress to be a “lowering of status”. The leader of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation told reporters that it is “inappropriate” for Rashkin to combine two posts (deputy chairman for organizational issues and head of the Moscow city committee), so he will take up work in the capital, which there is “no end to end.” In addition, he remains a member of the Presidium of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation.
ON THIS TOPIC
Rashkin informed the press of his decision to “act sharper and be more assertive and decisive.” “I don’t see a downgrade in status. Moscow remains the main platform for all rallies and pickets,” he told the Kommersant newspaper.
Valery Rashkin, as the curator of the organizational department in 2009, was involved in the dispersal of the capital’s branch, which was then in conflict with the leadership of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation. After this, Gennady Zyuganov entrusted him with heading the Moscow city committee, and also gave him the post of deputy chairman of the Central Committee. Now the situation has changed. Some in the party believe that Rashkin’s release from office may mean that a “tendency towards conciliation” will finally take hold in the leadership of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation.
There is another opinion. RBC agency sources in the party explained the politician’s displacement as follows: Rashkin is a “powder keg” for Zyuganov. The politician actively spoke at rallies in Moscow against paid parking, insisted on checking the real estate data of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, the Moscow City Committee headed by him held a rally against the renovation of housing in Moscow - and all this without the consent of Zyuganov.
On the eve of the presidential campaign, the party leadership does not need such excesses. By removing Rashkin from the post of deputy chairman of the Central Committee, the leaders want to strengthen discipline, says political scientist Abbas Gallyamov. “Rashkin acts very independently, and, apparently, the party leadership is fed up with his initiative. This decision should reassure both him and those who were guided by him. They will understand that they need to focus not on Rashkin, but on Zyuganov,” the expert believes . He emphasizes that it is important for the party to perform more successfully in the presidential elections than in the Duma, where the Communist Party of the Russian Federation barely retained second place.
Valery Rashkin was elected deputy chairman back in 2013; in political circles he was always considered right hand Zyuganov. Various reasons have been given for the unexpected changes in the politician’s status. Among the main ones there are two versions. It is believed that Gennady Zyuganov finally realized that the trail of scandals trailing Valery Rashkin, which are constantly written about in the media, negatively affects the image of the party and its leader personally. Or the politician’s career was influenced by the results last elections, where his rating turned out to be lower than the party’s rating in Moscow. And, most likely, both.
State Duma Deputy Valery Rashkin relieved of his post as Deputy Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation for organizational and party work. Party leader Gennady Zyuganov made this decision at the congress held in Moscow, the 17th congress of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation.
Valery Rashkin was replaced by his colleague in the Duma faction Yuri Afonin, who recently oversaw organizational work in the party.
Valery Rashkin himself was asked to focus his efforts on work in Moscow.
Party members and observers disagree on whether the personnel decision regarding Valery Rashkin should be considered a “demotion.”
On the one hand, Gennady Zyuganov believes that “in Moscow Mr. Rashkin has a lot of work to do,” and the deputy chairman of the Central Committee Dmitry Novikov , commenting to journalists on the demotion of Valery Rashkin, noted that he remains in the leadership of the party, meaning that he retained his membership in the presidium of the Central Committee.
On the other hand, Valery Rashkin is deprived of the authority to supervise organizational work in the party, which, of course, can be regarded as some reduction in status.
RBC published its source in the Communist Party of the Russian Federation: “Rashkin is like a powder keg for Zyuganov.” Rashkin is one of the most “media” deputies of the State Duma. He actively spoke at rallies in Moscow against paid parking, insisted on checking the prime minister’s real estate data Dmitry Medvedev outlined in the blogger’s investigation Alexey Navalny . The Moscow City Committee headed by him held a rally against the renovation of housing in Moscow, although Andrei Zyuganov supported the corresponding bill, which is being considered by the State Duma.
As previously reported IA REGNUM, Valery Rashkin played an active role in initiating an investigation based on the “investigation” of the Anti-Corruption Foundation of Alexei Navalny about the head of the Russian government, Dmitry Medvedev, who, with the help of non-profit foundations, allegedly acquired a variety of property.
However, “by the time of voting on this issue on the evening of April 5, less than a third of the Communist Party faction remained in the hall, no more than 15 people. If they think it's like this important topic, then let the faction itself respect itself, and be present at the discussion and voting, - told the correspondent IA REGNUM Member of the State Duma Commission on Deputy EthicsRaisa Karmazina ("United Russia")
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