| Liberal Democratic Party of Russia Либерально-Демократическая Партия России |
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|---|---|
| Leader | Vladimir Zhirinovsky |
| Founded | 1991[1][2] |
| Headquarters | Moscow |
| Ideology | Russian nationalism Ultranationalism Right-wing populism |
| International affiliation | None |
| European affiliation | None |
| Official colours | Blue, Gold |
| Seats in the State Duma |
56 / 450
|
| Seats in the Regional Parliaments |
174 / 3,785
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| Website | |
| http://www.ldpr.ru/ | |
| Politics of Russia Political parties Elections |
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The Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (Russian: Либерально-Демократическая Партия России (ЛДПР), Liberal'no-Demokraticheskaya Partiya Rossii (LDPR) is a political party in Russia. Since its founding in 1991, it has been led by the charismatic and controversial figure Vladimir Zhirinovsky. Opposing both communism and the "wild" capitalism of the 1990s, the party scored a major success in the 1993 Russian Duma elections, receiving a plurality vote. In the elections in 2007, the party received 8.14% of the vote, giving it 40 of the 450 seats in the State Duma. In the most recent 2011 elections, they increased their percentage to 11.4%. The party's brand and organization are centered around the personality of its leader Zhirinovsky.
Despite the party's name, it is frequently described as "neither liberal nor democratic." [3] While the party describes itself as centrist and reformist, it is usually regarded as far-right and is identified with Russian ultranationalism and right-wing populism (or "national populism").[4][5][6] Its ideology is based primarily on Zhirinovsky's ideas of "imperial reconquest" (a "renewed Russian Empire")[7] and authoritarian vision of a 'Greater Russia.'"[6][8]
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An effectively multi-party system emerged in Soviet Union in the late 1980s in wake of the Gorbachev reforms. A formal law for this purpose was introduced in October 1990. In April 1991, the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) became the second officially registered party in the country.[1] According to former CPSU Politburo member Alexander Nikolaevich Yakovlev, the new party was a joint project of CPSU leadership and the KGB He described how KGB director Vladimir Kryuchkov presented the project of the puppet party at a meeting with Mikhail Gorbachev and informed him about his selection of LDPR leaders and the mechanism of funding. KGB General Philipp Bobkov described the organization as "Zubatov's pseudo-party under KGB control that directs interests and sentiments of certain social groups".[9] The outspoken leader of LDPR, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, an effective media performer,[1] gained 8% of votes during the 1991 Presidential elections.[10] He also supported the August 1991 coup attempt.
In the 1993 Duma elections, the pro-reform party supporting President Boris Yeltsin, Russia's Choice, received only 15% of the vote, and the new Communist Party of the Russian Federation only 12.4%. Liberal Democratic Party of Russia emerged as the winner with 22.9% of the popular vote. In effect, the Russian population was divided to those who supported Boris Yeltsin's reforms and to those who did not. It is regarded that the popularity of Zhirinovsky and his party arose from the electorate's dissatisfaction with Yeltsin, and their desire for a non-communist solution.[11]
Zhirinovsky is credited with having successfully identified the problems of ordinary Russians, and offering simple remedies to solve them. For example, he has suggested that all leaders of organized crime should be shot, and all Chechens deported from Russia.[1] Zhirinovsky also called for territorial expansion of Russia. Many of Zhirinovsky's views are highly controversial, and the LDPR's success in the early 1990s shocked observers both inside and outside Russia.[10]
The Duma elected in 1993 was as interim solution, and its mandate expired in 1995. During the two years, Zhirinovsky's popularity waned, and his party's support was halved in the 1995 elections (11.2%). The Communists emerged as the winners, with 22.3% of the vote.[11] In the 1999 elections, LDPR received 6.0% of the votes, and recovered in 2003 with a 11.5% ratio.
In the latest elections in 2007, LDPR received 5,660,823 votes (8.14%) and received 40 seats in the State Duma.[11]
The Liberal Democratic Party of Russia aims for "a revival of Russia as a great power." It has opposed both communism and the "wild" capitalism that resulted from Russia's reforms. It favours a mixed economy with private ownership but with a strong management role reserved for the state. In foreign policy, the party places a strong emphasis on "civilizations." It has supported the restoration of Russia with its "natural borders" (which the party believes include Belarus, Ukraine and other former Soviet republics). It sees the unification of Russia and Belarus as a first step in the restoration. The LDPR regards the United States and the Western civilization as the main external threat to Russia. The party has harshly criticised the discrimination against ethnic Russians in the Baltic states and demanded that they should be given Russian citizenship and protected against discriminatory legislation.[1]
Professor Henry E. Hale lists the party's main policy stands as nationalism and a focus in law and order. Although it often uses radical opposition rhetoric, the LDPR frequently votes for government proposals. This has led to speculation that the party receives funding from the Kremlin.[10]
The party's organization is almost entirely centered around its charismatic leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky.[10]
The party is in alliance with several parties in the former Soviet republics, including Armenia, Belarus, Estonia and Ukraine. Its allies in Estonia support the rights of the Russian speaking minority.[2]
In 2003, the party claimed 600,000 members and had issued 475,000 party cards.[1] According to a 2008 survey by Colton, Hale and McFaul, 4% of the Russian population are loyalists of the party.[10]
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