Parties are preparing for the presidential elections and choosing candidates for them

Parties are preparing for presidential elections and choosing candidates for them. In the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, Gennady Zyuganov is considered the main contender for this role, in the LDPR – Leonid Slutsky. However, party members stipulate that they will make a final decision on this matter later. “New People” refuse to even preliminarily name a possible candidate for this role, promising that they will decide on it in October. “A Just Russia – For Truth” remains true to its promise to support Vladimir Putin (who has not yet announced that he will participate in the elections). United Russia members say that they “understand” their candidate.

First Deputy Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation Yuri Afonin told Kommersant that the decision regarding the party’s representative in the upcoming presidential elections will be made by the party’s governing body, but the main candidate at the moment is party leader Gennady Zyuganov. He added that the final decision will be made in December, when the plenum of the central committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation and the party congress will take place. Sergei Obukhov, a member of the Presidium of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, adds that the communists have already planned a plenum for the end of October, where they intend to hear reports from the “red” governors and “the most promoted leaders”: “There will be reports (by the head of Khakassia Valentina.— “Kommersant”) Konovalova, (head of the Oryol region Andrey.— “Kommersant”) Klychkov, (ex-presidential candidate from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation Pavel.— “Kommersant”) Grudinin, and a program will be formed. The congress will be in December, but the review of the team and candidates will take place in October.”

According to the deputy head of the LDPR faction in the State Duma, Stanislav Naumov, the leader of the Zhirinovites, Leonid Slutsky, soon intends to meet with President Vladimir Putin and discuss the “architecture of competition” in the upcoming elections: “I think if the conversation with the president does not end in some other way, then the candidate It’s logical for the party to become the chairman of the party – otherwise why is he the chairman?” The Liberal Democrats, according to Mr. Naumov, will start the active phase immediately after the congress: “Our candidate will actively campaign, starting from the very first day of the start: this will include trips to the regions. Leonid Eduardovich (Slutsky.— “Kommersant”) mastered this format in the summer, having visited 19 regions.” The party program will be based “on the legacy and ideas of Zhirinovsky” and will be updated “in accordance with the characteristics of the current moment and plans for the future,” the parliamentarian promised.

Back at the May congress, the leader of the party “A Just Russia – For Truth” (SRZP) Sergei Mironov invited his comrades to support the candidacy of Vladimir Putin in the presidential elections. The politician does not change his decision even now. “The decision to nominate Vladimir Putin as a candidate from the party in the presidential elections is final; it was made by the congress of the party “A Just Russia – For Truth” on May 20 of this year. I would like to note that we made a similar decision in the previous presidential elections in 2018,” the politician told Kommersant. According to him, the party cannot act differently in the conditions of tough sanctions, a special military operation, and direct confrontation between Russia and the West. According to him, the country is going through “the most important stage in its recent history.” “And at this stage, it is the current president who plays the key role, as the supreme commander in chief, as the leader of the nation. The loss of a national leader could lead the country to disaster, throwing us back 30 years,” says Sergei Mironov. He also calls Vladimir Putin one of the few “like-minded people in power, perhaps the only socialist in the country’s leadership.” The SRZP has already begun preparations for the elections, for the campaign: all its resources will be focused on supporting Mr. Putin, explains Sergei Mironov. Secretary of the Presidium of the Central Council of the SRZP Dmitry Gusev adds that the party intends to present its candidate with instructions and its “essential position.” “I can’t say yet what exactly will be there, but we are already forming our program, which we will offer to the candidate: there is an understanding of goals and objectives, and the technologies are still in the process of discussion,” the politician told Kommersant.

“New People” will most likely also present their candidate at the end of October, the party’s press service told Kommersant. Party members refused to talk about preparations for the elections. Two Kommersant sources close to the presidential administration believe that the most likely candidate from the party now is its chairman, Alexei Nechaev.

The day before, State Duma deputy, deputy secretary of the General Council of United Russia and head of its central executive committee, Alexander Sidyakin, stated that the party would speak out on the presidential elections at its congress. “We are planning a convention for the second half of December. Maybe even for the last decade. We must get to the beginning of the presidential election campaign, because one of the main tasks of the congress will be to speak out on the topic of the election campaign in one form or another. Of course, we understand our candidate,” said the United Russia member.

Let us note that Vladimir Putin has not yet announced his participation in the upcoming elections. “In accordance with the law, our parliament must make a decision at the end of the year: when the decision is made, elections are announced, the date is named, then we’ll talk,” he said recently at a plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum. Three Kommersant sources close to the presidential administration consider the optimal scenario in which Vladimir Putin will run as a self-nominated candidate, as in the previous elections in 2018.

Political scientist Alexander Nemtsev believes that the drama of the future presidential campaign will be built by analogy with the 2018 campaign: there will be a main candidate and a number of candidates from different opposition forces around him. According to the expert, this campaign will be especially important for the Communist Party of the Russian Federation: he assumes that the party will still refuse to nominate Gennady Zyuganov. “There will be some new face from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, and this new face will lead the party in the future,” explained the political scientist. The LDPR, in his opinion, will be represented by Leonid Slutsky, although surprises are possible. Some frontmen may emerge from the “New People”, for example, Sardana Avksentyeva, Sangadzhi Tarbaev or Vladislav Davankov, who participated in the elections of the capital’s mayor, the political scientist believes. In addition, to create competition, the authorities can agree on the participation in the elections of a person from the liberal flank, but who does not pose a serious danger, the expert continued: “This candidate will gently criticize the current state of affairs, in particular, obstruct the decision on the special operation, since this agenda is not may not sound.” An important signal for the future political system will be under what circumstances and at what event Vladimir Putin will announce his participation in the elections, Alexander Nemtsev believes. Also, the main question is whether he will be nominated by United Russia or decide to run as a self-nominated candidate, but the second option is most likely, the expert concluded.

Grigory Leyba, Elena Rozhkova, Andrey Vinokurov