At a time when the potential any serious opposition mayoral candidates Vladivostok did not find agreement among themselves, the burden of political competition (if this concept is generally true for modern Russia) is transferred to the camp of the ruling party. The first stage of the elections - and, most likely, the most important -should be the so-called primaries, in which United Russia is determined with its candidate for mayor of Vladivostok. Not the fact that these same primaries will be held smoothly. At the very least, the available experience allows us to say that we should expect all kinds of scandals, violations, and a showdown involving the most supreme arbiters.
Primaries (or, simply, the inner-primary vote, in which the party itself is defined with their own candidates) -relatively new to the Russian mechanism designed, in theory, contribute most democratic and transparent electoral process. That is not the party leaders behind the scenes to decide which members of their party will be nominated for mayor or deputy, and by the members of the party.
However, the "United Russia" and with the primaries did roughly the same as in Russia long before the elections took place as such. They, too, were designed to democratize the political process,but in fact turned into a competition of political competition conditions and personal relationships. If in the early 90's or the deputy mayor could still be elected by the people is really popular people (or not so good, smart or not - another issue in this case only about democracy procedures), then to the days of the mature putinism real candidates to Whatever it was came to be considered the only ones who have long been "everything is under control" and a conditional billion (make sure at least for the exampleVladivostok is replaced by Cerenkov first came Kopylov, then - Nikolaev and Pushkarev, this evolution is typical for the whole country).
Primaries too quickly turned into a golf secret intrigues, tied mainly to the "resource" of a candidate - the administrative and financial, which are now firmly fused.
In support of recall in September 2011 when the seaside "United Russia" together with the so-called All-Russia PeopleFront held primaries to determine candidates for the State Duma of Primorye - With great fanfare, on the set of sites.
Initially, during the primaries, the winners who can qualify for through-space in the list of candidates for the State Duma, were (and who would be surprised) are close to the current Governor Darkin person: Ahoyan deputy of the Legislative Assembly, the deputy of the State Duma Glubokovskaya, chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions seaside Pinsky. The fourth and fifth placeswent to the first vice-governor of Kostenko and chairman of the regional council of veterans Grigorovich. Two current representative in the State Duma, United Russia Primorye Ruslan and Vladimir Kondrashov Pehtin were only the sixth and seventh position, assuming obviously impassable. It seems to leave the State Duma did not want them. Pehtin then, forgetting his image inveterate the Far East, has decided to run for deputies from the Arkhangelsk region - and has not lost (though more recently the mandate Pehtin stillhad to hand - after a row with his foreign real estate). Kondrashov decided to obtain a review of the results of the primaries. In this case, it does not matter Kondrashov, good or bad, but the fact that these were the most primaries with such disorders, the reason for the cancellation of the results can be found without difficulty. For example, in Artem tellers Peter first Churkin said that for some reason. "Outsiders who do not personally performed the primaries in Artyom suddenly took a record number of votes ", with the number of ballots occurred some strangeness, etc. As a result, Prime Minister Putin has arrived to Vladivostok and personally ordered to cancel the results gosdumskih primaries by at least two locations - in Nakhodka and Artyom (Kondratova this, however, still does not work, but it's not about that, and that Putin's decision has actually confirmed information about serious fraud, at first refuted by local functionaries - from leading edge"ER" Queen of Vice-Governor Shemelev).
At the same time a similar scandal occurred in and around United Russia party primaries for the elections to the Legislative Assembly of Primorsky Krai. One of the scrutineers Vuglikov Fedor refused to sign the protocol, stating that "the electors previously issued lists of candidates who need to vote; urns in one man threw several papers. " An open letter from members of the local branch"ER" in the Leninsky district of Vladivostok, who considered that the lists of candidates for the Legislative Assembly "made with utter disregard of the results of the primaries" and that "only creates the appearance of democracy, but in fact the outcome of people's choice do not matter." The authors asked the rhetorical question: " Or all depends on whether proplacheno place in the future? Why is a single-seat constituency Fatkulina replaced Vladivostok Duma deputy Ludmila Talabaeva, registered on the First District? "(NowTalabaeva, recall, went for the party ladder up, leading the regional branch of "United Russia".)
This sad experience suggests that the violation of the primaries - rather than individual cases, and the system, and that the party leaders - or their shadow curators - can easily sacrifice the interests of their comrades in the party who do not have close to the power and /or cement (version : fisheries, forests ) businesses.
Now come - the election of the mayor. At a recent meeting with the media head of United Russia Lyudmila seaside Talabaeva let slip that in the primaries, according to her, is open to the incumbent mayor Igor Pushkarev and a member of AP, sister of ex-mayor of Vladivostok Victoria Nikolaeva (piquancy of the situation makes that even Vladimir Nikolayev, which no longer face criminal prosecution, after a long silence, reappeared in the information field and made it clear that he intends to return to Vladivostok - if not personally, then its social programs exactly). "You know our city - Vladivostok many bright people. And many, perhaps, the last day will be served a statement. As long as I know that they plan to participate in the primaries Igor Pushkarev and Victoria Nikolaeva "- quoted Talabaevoy RIA PrimaMedia.
The strong combination of sparring, shame two years ago by those who watched for a while, remember very well. Somehow rigged primaries in Primorye had to cancel Putin personally - in his favorite power vertical "manual mode". But then at stake was not an armchair mayor of Vladivostok. Now the stakes are higher, so you can expect anything - from rampant anti sleaze to an already proven in practice, fraud, and perhaps even more serious consequences on the steps (up to direct crime).
Probably the 2013 primaries in Vladivostok will give authors of future textbooks political consulting a number of interesting know-how. For example, the same Talabaeva (which, judging by the stories in 2011 knows how to win in the primaries) can constructively work with party members, giving them a clear understanding of who has a glorious companions in most of these primaries win. Then - as an option - you can organize a vote on the nomination of candidates for some a remote site, such as the campus FEFU Russian island of Where strangers and unwanted vigilant guards did not let me. Transparency transparency, but there are also internal party affairs? Next time - electoral candidates directly involved in the primaries (not to trust the responsible thing is it all in a row, even with the "right" party card). If these electors will be directly or indirectly to the candidate himself-favorite, the outcome of the vote, we think, is clear. There are other subtleties associated with the manipulation of ballots and ballot boxes around. In short, Putin's mechanism of "manual control" may well be applied in the field, creatively expanding.
So if you are honest, United Russia (and there are) think that the primaries to nominate candidates for mayor of Vladivostok will be open and honest, you are afraid, they are sadly mistaken. Most likely, the candidate will be the one person ("this leg - who should foot"), which is long for myself all decided. And the primaries - a kind of screen.
However, and here, in practice the same in 2011 the garbage sometimes driven out of the party in public. And then you can wait for the next Putin's intervention (like the "god from the machine" in the ancient tragedies), who suddenly arrives and has itself habitually reach for the same arm "manual control". Moreover, it is unclear what is worse - this is the manual control of the Kremlin or a purely local focus with democratic mechanisms that work too selective.
P.S.: of Press Release Primorsky branch of the "ER" became clear "First among equals" in the nomination of candidates for mayor will be, of course, the acting head of Pushkarev. It turns out that the regional executive committee of the party "immediately received 17 applications from large public organizations Primorye to nominate for the September elections the incumbent head of Vladivostok." Next especially states that "intra-party candidate selection process will be supervised by volunteers, which eliminates the possibility of falsification and manipulation of the election results" (who can read between the lines, understand). And - attention! - "Intra-party vote by participants before the electors are planned in the Far Eastern Federal University campus, located on the island of Russian." In short, everything as expected.
The results of the primaries planed to May 28.
Sergei Pavlov, " New Paper in Vladivostok . "
