The leadership of the LDPR gave parting words to the newly elected deputies

The LDPR leadership, led by its leader Leonid Slutsky, met in the Duma on Friday with regional and municipal deputies elected last week from their party. Federal politicians advised their regional colleagues and gave them advice on working with the population: everyone who visited a party branch should not leave without a souvenir. The elected deputies themselves at first simply admired their leader, and then, emboldened, began to make requests.

The meeting was opened by the curator of regional campaigns of the LDPR, Vladimir Koshelev, who said that in this election cycle, 646 deputies of various levels were elected from the Liberal Democrats. He was particularly pleased with the increase in LDPR representatives in municipalities: they communicate with voters “on the ground” and are “the foundation of the party.” “Sometimes our heads grew, and our legs were thin and weak. Now you have a unique historical chance: the party is paying the greatest attention to you,” Mr. Koshelev encouraged his newly elected colleagues.

Senator Elena Afanasyeva drew attention to the work of district coordinators, many of whom “take the position of ostriches” by joining the territorial election commissions. “Our district coordinators must be the ones who lead their entire district organization into battle. If he doesn’t go into battle, look for a new combat coordinator,” Mrs. Afanasyeva urged. She also congratulated the “girls” with whom “the brutal men’s party is growing” and called on them to “drag the entire women’s agenda onto the LDPR.” The senator said that at the end of November the party will hold a large women’s meeting,” and this issue was previously agreed upon with Leonid Slutsky.

Elena Afanasyeva also taught the deputies the basics of working with the population, who should not forget to present party souvenirs: “If a child comes to you, there should always be a ruler and a LDPR notebook for him, for adults – tea and a mug.”

Finally, the senator touched on another important topic – party contributions, since the state funding allocated to the party as a result of the elections is not enough. “Let’s form funds. There is never enough money. There weren’t enough of them under Vladimir Volfovich (Zhirinovsky, founder of the LDPR.— “Kommersant”), and we always sought additional funds, they are not enough under Leonid Eduardovich (Slutsky.— “Kommersant”)”.

Deputy head of the LDPR central office, Vladimir Kostin, also raised the financial topic, but in a different vein. “You will find that people will often ask you for money. Do not try to replace the state by distributing money to everyone in need. Use all the mechanisms that you have as a deputy. Your function is to improve the functioning of the state mechanism if it has gone astray somewhere,” explained Mr. Kostin.

LDPR leader Leonid Slutsky came to the meeting an hour after it began. He congratulated the deputies on their election from “the core party in today’s party architecture in Russia.”

“You have accomplished what our great founder Vladimir Volfovich Zhirinovsky, who with the power of his intellect could look into the future, dreamed of and bequeathed to us. He always dreamed that the LDPR would become the second political force in Russia, and today we are rapidly moving towards this,” Mr. Slutsky cheerfully said.

He gave the deputies a task: to monitor readiness for the school year. Mr. Slutsky himself promised to create a situational center for the LDPR for citizens’ appeals in each region regarding school problems. Also, according to him, a new structure will soon appear in the party – regional chambers of deputies of the LDPR.

Then the deputies were invited to ask questions. At first they were shy, preferring to praise the leader in their speeches. Thus, Taisa Mukaeva, a member of the council of deputies of the Kalinovsky rural settlement, said that the regional branch in Chechnya appeared only last year and party members “were physically unable to familiarize the population with the charter and program of the LDPR,” but voters voted for the party “thanks to the personal authority of Leonid Slutsky.” “I’m really no stranger to the Chechen Republic,” Mr. Slutsky readily accepted the compliment, noting that he spent a lot of time there and had “brotherly relations” with the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov.”

Deputy of the Belgorod City Council Evgeny Dremov asked Mr. Slutsky: “How do you manage to do everything and be in such good shape?”

He also presented the leader of the LDPR with stripes with the inscription “Belgorod Region”. A clearly flattered Leonid Slutsky responded that meetings with regional representatives “turn into a ‘Field of Miracles’.” “How am I doing? You just need to worry less about falling and breaking. You won’t fall and break. We need more youthful enthusiasm, which is now characteristic of the LDPR,” the liberal democrat shared his secrets.

Then the guests became bolder and began not only to praise, but also to ask. Thus, a member of the Council of Deputies of the Rasskazovsky Municipal District of the Tambov Region, Valery Koroteev, asked to allocate a propaganda bus and a curator from among the Duma deputies to the regional department. “We’ll give you a propaganda bus, and you think about how to strengthen the department,” suggested Mr. Slutsky.

A deputy of the Council of People’s Deputies of the Pavlovsk Municipal District of the Voronezh Region, Evgeny Kokovin, who introduced himself as a businessman, complained about the “depressing” condition of the premises for receiving citizens. “You’re a businessman,” Vladimir Koshelev shamed him. “I personally restored the regional department at my own expense, I didn’t run to the party or anywhere.”

Leonid Slutsky called for contacting the party “when you have exhausted your own capabilities.”

The head of the Yanishpolsky rural settlement of the Kondopoga region of the Republic of Karelia, Mikhail Ermakov, said that on his territory the liberal democrats “gave a good slap in the face to United Russia,” despite the fact that, according to him, pressure was put on voters. However, in this regard, he feared that in his village “they could arrange a demonstrative flogging.” Mr. Slutsky promised not to allow this to happen and to talk to the governor.

Finally, the party leader called on the deputies “not to intrigue,” since “the LDPR denies intrigue,” and also wished everyone “health, luck and love.” After which the newly elected deputies went to take pictures against the backdrop of the Russian coat of arms and the inscription “State Duma”.

Ksenia Veretennikova