Former prime minister and People's Democratic Union leader Mikhail Kasyanov (left) has split ways with former world chess champion and United Civic Front leader Garri Kasparov.
Photo: Ilya Pitalev
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The Other Russia without Kasyanov
The internal conflict over the nomination of a single presidential candidate has led to a schism in The Other Russia. Yesterday, leader of the People's Democratic Front Union Mikhail Kasyanov announced that his organization would no longer participate in The Other Russia. PDU spokesmen have said that, with their departure, The Other Russia coalition “no longer exists.” United Civil Front leader Garri Kasparov, however, says the coalition is alive and well.
Former prime minister Kasyanov has already been nominated by the PDU to run for president and felt that The Other Russia candidate should be chosen through negotiations among potential runners. Kasparov wanted the selection process to be maximally open and democratic and wanted the single candidate chosen in a forum. UCF executive director Denis Bilunov told Kommersant that Kasyanov “apparently made a sober assessment of his chances within The Other Russia and decided not to risk it."
Kasyanov is now ready to form a new coalition. He said he would like Yabloko, the Union of Right Forces and the Communist Party to enter it, but that was “unlikely.” Kasyanov has the personal support of Eduard Limonov. Some of Limonov's prominent followers, however, favor Sergey Gulyaev and his St. Petersburg The People movement. “There is time,” Kasyanov said. If that turns out not to be the case, he will be ready any way. Yesterday an organizing committee met in Nizhny Novgorod to form a new party.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of July 04, 2007
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