Four nationalist organizations signed an agreement that would help them cooperate in the future. Participants said nationalism was the only "real opposition" in the country and predicted there would be a conflict between Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev
The conference gathered about 1,500 members of four nationalist organizations: The Movement Against Illegal Immigration (DPNI), Russian Public Movement (ROD), National Russian Liberation Movement (Narod) and the Great Russia party. Alexei Navalny, the chairman of Narod, told Expert Online the idea was to meet with "reasonable nationalists", without inviting militant ultra-orthodox christians or anti-semits, skinheads and other extremist groups. "We wanted to show that Russian nationalists are a normal political force ready to work as a modern European political party", - Navalny stressed.
The meeting opened with a speech by Alexandr Belov, the leader of DPNI. He said there were 70 % of "spontaneous" nationalists in Russia, but there was no political group that could represent them. "Nationalism is not something to fear, it is very democratic in its essence, and very social", Belov also said.
The idea was supported by the next speaker, ROD's Konstantin Krylov. According to him, many political models were tested in Russia throughout its history, except for only one, which is still banned - Russian nationalism. "We are the only real opposition today", said Krylov. Navalny continued that nationalists are also "the only real democrats and the only real human rights advocates" in today's Russia. Narod's leader said Russian nationalist should learn from the experience of extreme-right parties abroad, and cited Israel, "the world's most nationalistic state", as an example. Oddly enough, the gathering applauded.
After all the presentations, leaders of the four groups signed an agreement that was called "the June 8th Pact". The document provides for cooperation between the groups. According to Navalny, they will act together as partner organizations, and creation of a united movement or party was not on the agenda. The pact does not put limitations on participants if they choose to engage in partnership with any other political force, Navalny stressed.
One of the speakers, Vladimir Golyshev, said nationalists should expect a conflict between Russia's former and current Presidents - Putin and Medvedev. When there is confrontation between the two, nationalist must raise their voice in support of the country's new leader. "Our task is to become the political power Medvedev would not mind transferring power to", Golyshev said.
Vera Kholmogorova
Alexandr Belov (on the left)
Photo: RIA Novosri
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