The deputies were put on the counter – Newspaper Kommersant No. 3 (7448) dated 01/11/2023

A third of the deputies of the State Council of Udmurtia from United Russia did not report on the results of maintaining the “counter of voters’ orders.” This was announced by the head of the republic and the head of the local United Russia Alexander Brechalov. In November 2022, he instructed the party members to keep a count of the orders received and fulfilled, and at the beginning of 2023 he demanded a report. The lack of clear criteria for the punishment and its implementation can lead to a race for numbers at the expense of efficiency, political scientists warn.

Only 32 out of 49 deputies of the State Council (Parliament) of Udmurtia from United Russia reported on the work with the “counter of orders of voters.” This was announced at the strategic session of the regional branch of the party on January 9 by the head of the republican cell of United Russia, the head of Udmurtia, Alexander Brechalov, who was quoted by the press service of the branch. According to the submitted reports, out of 768 orders, 234 orders were executed. Of the 29 leaders of the party factions in the municipal parliaments, 22 reported, and 2059 out of 3677 orders were executed.

Mr. Brechalov proposed to keep such a “counter” to all United Russia deputies last summer, when he was re-elected to the post of head of the republic (then the new composition of the State Council of Udmurtia was formed). In November, at a party conference, he gave specific instructions on this matter, and on December 20, speaking with an annual report on the state of affairs in the republic, he asked the deputies to present the results of their work to him no later than January 9, 2023.

Which of the deputies did not fulfill the order, Alexander Brechalov did not say, but promised to draw “relevant conclusions” on them. The head of the republic recalled that the orders are part of the “People’s Program” of “United Russia”, the implementation of which should be carried out by party members. “Its implementation, despite the rapidly changing situation in the country and the world, remains one of the priority areas of our work,” Mr. Brechalov stressed.

The deputies themselves said that most often the instructions of voters relate to improvement, assistance in purchasing equipment for schools, kindergartens and sports facilities, material assistance to children from families in difficult life situations, athletes, etc.

Izhevsk political strategist Konstantin Trufanov believes that many deputies simply did not understand how exactly they should report: publish a report on social networks or send it to the executive committee of the regional branch. “United Russia is the first party that has decided to demonstrate the fulfillment of specific requests of voters, and not just speak in slogans, but it is still not clear what exactly is to be considered an order and its implementation,” the expert argues. “There are no unified requirements. Screwing in a light bulb is a mandate, raising the minimum wage is also a mandate, passing laws is also a mandate.” The lack of clear criteria can lead to the pursuit of beautiful numbers, warns Mr. Trufanov. In addition, in his opinion, citizens are beginning to perceive deputies as people who should solve their domestic or economic issues, and not pass laws.

According to the vice-president of the Russian Association of Political Consultants Pyotr Bystrov, the “mandate counter” can help increase the level of voters’ trust in United Russia, but only “if the numbers are accompanied by results that can be seen.” In turn, political scientist Alexander Balitsky doubts that the “counter” will somehow affect the image of the party in the eyes of voters. But such a format of control over the activities of deputies by the party leadership in the republic will encourage them to work more actively in their constituencies, the expert suggests. Although somewhere it may be just a profanity and creating the appearance of violent activity, Mr. Balitsky warns.

Mikhail Krasilnikov, Izhevsk