Medvedev wants unregistered party support for reforms

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev met on Monday with the leaders of several unregistered parties and discussed the course of political reforms in the country. “I expect to hear some words of support on this issue because you do not have state registration, and because for you liberalization of party registration and the general liberalization of political life can be much more important than for the established political parties,” said Medvedev, who is not running for re-election in the March 4 vote. The time for change has arrived, he said. “Our political system is not ideal and many of those who have gathered here today criticize it, sometimes harshly. At the same time, we should proceed from general principles when changing it,” Medvedev said. Medvedev said that the main aim of the meeting was to discuss the future political system “in the context of those political reform bills that were submitted to the State Duma.” “Here there are people of different political views and this is probably a good thing simply because of the fact that we must understand the direction in which our political reform should develop,” president added. scheduled to debate the reforms at a February 28 session to which representatives of non-parliamentary parties have been invited. The bills concern elections to the Duma, direct popular election of regional governors from among candidates nominated by the political parties, simplified procedures for registering political parties, and reductions in the number of signatures required by non-parliamentary parties and independent candidates to participate in elections. “All these draft laws are, so to speak, on the table. Let’s talk about what you think is right, what is not right, or what can be changed,” Medvedev said. He added that all the leaders of public organizations that were at the meeting plan to register their political parties shortly after the relevant laws come into force and “much more actively influence the political life of the country.” “I am ready to discuss other issues but I think that the main problem is connected with how we see the development of the political system,” president said.