MOSCOW (Realist English). Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) and leader of Russia’s popular patriotic forces Gennady Zyuganov has issued a statement demanding the immediate reinstatement of the party’s candidates in the State Duma elections.
According to him, the reason for the appeal was what he called “immoral and frankly ugly forms” of police pressure on CPRF representatives during the current election campaign.
Zyuganov stated that under absurd pretexts, candidates I.K. Apostolevsky, V.I. Gudomarov and M.N. Matveev had been removed from the elections. On 21 August, another public opinion leader, Nikolai Bondarenko, was detained and forcibly taken to court, where he was charged under an administrative article on the propaganda of extremist symbols based on what Zyuganov called a “dirty internet fake.”
‘Shameful trial’ of Bondarenko
The CPRF leader was particularly outraged by the situation surrounding Nikolai Bondarenko, whom he called a “recognised public opinion leader” and a representative of the party’s new generation.
Zyuganov stressed that Bondarenko, like many communists, “steadfastly and fearlessly fights against Nazism and Banderaism on the fronts of the special military operation,” and also helps soldiers at the front and their families on a daily basis.
“We consider what happened to be a pure provocation and arbitrariness! Those who are called upon to uphold the rule of law are themselves grossly violating the President’s demand for fair elections and full dialogue between various political forces,” the statement reads.
Zyuganov called the court proceedings against Bondarenko, held in a “closed” regime, a “shameful trial,” an “act of intimidation of politically active citizens,” and an “open challenge to the whole of society.”
Police pressure on the party
According to Zyuganov, police pressure is being applied not only to individual activists but also to entire party branches. The most egregious situation, he said, has developed in Altai Krai, Lipetsk and Oryol regions.
“Only a treacherous ‘fifth column’ could persecute elected representatives and their worthy assistants, representing a leading parliamentary party, in today’s explosive situation,” the CPRF leader said.
He also reminded that the popular patriotic forces led by the CPRF put forward constructive proposals for the country’s development, including the “Education for All” law, the Development Budget projects, new Labour and Electoral Codes, as well as the “Victory Programme,” which incorporates the achievements of the Soviet era and the experience of China and Belarus.
Consolidation or repression?
Zyuganov stressed that public consolidation, which is urgently needed in the country amid the war, is impossible without strict observance of voters’ right to freely and democratically form government bodies.
“The activities of the judicial and law enforcement bodies should promote social stability, not undermine the political system of a country at war,” he said.
The CPRF leader insists that the “party of power and the security forces must immediately stop the lawlessness and fully ensure the transparency of the electoral process.”
List of those being persecuted
In his statement, Zyuganov listed party members who, in his view, are being subjected to political persecution:
- Nikolai Bondarenko
- Mikhail Matveev
- Lyudmila Klyushnikova
- Yuri Kropotin
- Andrei Chernobay
- Svetlana Kerber
- Sergei Lezhnev
“Hands off our comrades!” the CPRF leader declared, demanding the immediate reinstatement of the party’s candidates in the elections.
Zyuganov’s statement came at the final stage of the election campaign. The Communists insist that police pressure on opposition parties undermines the legitimacy of the elections and contradicts the president’s statements about the need for fair voting and dialogue with various political forces. No response from the authorities or electoral commissions has yet been forthcoming.
