Russian Democratic Opposition Releases Political Program

Conference of democratic forces.  Source: kasparov.ruThe Russian democratic opposition has released a new political program recommending a new course for the country, and explaining how to get there. The document, titled “300 steps to freedom,” (RUS) was put forward by the steering group responsible for planning a congress of Russia’s united democratic forces.

The aim of the manifesto is “a cardinal change to the socio-political and socio-economic situation in the country, the restoration of rule of law, democratic institutions and political rights for citizens, respect for human rights, the creation of a humane and free society and government.”

The program consists of five parts: political reforms, human development, the economy, Russia in the world, and reforms to the system of state administration. The democrats describe the primary idea of the plan as “the creation of a highly competitive landscape in the political and economic life in Russia.”

“The major goal of the political reforms is the formation of a full-fledged competitive political system in Russia, which will allow citizens to independently assess the performance of the authorities, and to make decisions about which politicians are worthy of representing them in the future.”

Members of the steering group that released the program were selected at an April 5th conference of democratic forces held in St. Petersburg. Their ranks include:

Union of Right Forces leader Nikita Belykh
Denis Bilunov, executive director of the United Civil Front
Dissident Vladimir Bukovsky
Igor Yermolenko , the head of the Samara branch of Yabloko
United Civil Front leader Garry Kasparov
Economist Vladimir Milov
Independent politician Boris Nemtsov
Lev Ponomarev, the leader of the “For Human Rights” movement
Maxim Reznik, the leader of the St. Petersburg branch of Yabloko
Yury Samodurov, the director of the Sakharov Museum
Ilya Yashin, the co-chairman of the Yabloko youth wing
Andrei Illarionov, economist and leader of the “Liberal Charter” political wing

The full text of the program is available here (Rus).