UNITED RUSSIA

'United Russia' (''Yedinaya Rossiya'', Russian ''Единая Россия''; the more correct translation is ''Unified Russia'') is a political party in the Russian Federation which usually labels itself centrist. It backs the President, Vladimir Putin and can be seen as his vehicle in the State Duma (the lower house of Russian parliament). It was founded in April 2001 as a merger between Yuriy Luzhkov's, Yevgeny Primakov's and Mintimer Shaeymiev's Fatherland - All Russia party, and the Unity Party of Russia, led by Sergei Shoigu and Alexander Karelin.
United Russia is a relatively new party in the Russian Parliament but has been making great gains in recent federal and local elections due to the popularity of Putin.
In the 2003 parliamentary elections it polled 37% of the party vote. As of January 2005 it controls 305 seats out of 450, which gives it a Constitutional majority. United Russia members also make up 88 out 178 delegates in the Federation Council of Russia, (The Upper House of Parliament). In the 2004 presidential election United Russia supported Vladimir Putin and contributed to his victory.
A number of Ministers in Putin's Government as well as many Regional Governors and other senior government officials throughout Russia are members of the Party. The current head of the United Russia is Duma Speaker and former Interior Minister Boris Gryzlov, elected as a party leader in November 2002.
On its official website the party claims to have 1,530,000 members (20 July, 2007). According to United Russia's own register dated 2005-09-20, the party has 2,600 local and 29,856 primary offices in all Russia's regions.
United Russia can be considered moderately nationalist on some (international) issues, combined with tendencies towards pride over accomplishments by the Soviet Union (notably its centralism), but it is not communist. The patriotic aspect of the party is expressed by the Russian Bear on the party flag. Primarily the party's ideology is fully in line with the personal political doctrine of Vladimir Putin and in this sense, has undergone changes.

Contents

External links

External links

★ Official web site of the party

★ Official web site of the Duma fraction

★ Forum of party supporters

★ Youth wing of the party

★ United Russia (Moscow)

★ United Russia (Ural)