Sent by the Communist Party of the Russian Federation on December 1, 2003
Mr. President:
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| Gennady Zyuganov |
It is obvious that the December 7, 2003 parliamentary elections will be neither free, nor fair. We are now observing an unprecedented manipulation of public opinion and preparations for falsification of the election results.
The society watches with disgust the flow of lies and slander from TV, controlled by your administration. Dr. Goebbels looks pale as compared that with the heads of the State TV channels Mr. Dobrodreev and Mr. Ernst are doing. The reason is obvious. The authorities are unable to sustain fair competition with the CPRF patriotic block.
We offer a program for Russia’s revival – the ruling party wants to continue to plunder Russia. It has nothing to tell the voters. Hence the "United Russia’s" shameful refusal to participate in TV debates! Of course, after mountains of destructive laws were pushed through by the "United Russia", it cannot retain voters support.
Therefore it counts on lies and slander to deprive the CPRF – the opposition’s leading force of this support.
However, the narrow mindedness of your assistants who are behind this campaign is demonstrated by the quality of their attempts to slander the opposition.
The previous accusations of "Rosagropromstroy" of the CPRF-linked financial abuse have blown up like a soap bubble. The accusations of "friendship" with Mr. Berezovsky have evaporated as everyone knows that this hardened anti-communist was behind the creation of the "Unity" fraction and organized your presidential election.
Now, as in the worst time of the Yeltsin’s regime, the administrative pressure is widely used against the opposition. Dozens of governors, ministers and mayors of the "United Russia" candidate lists are formally on leave. Yet, their staff is not on leave and they block in every possible way the voters’ meetings with the opposition candidates, lock the halls, switch off electricity, and intimidate the voters.
The Central Election Commission does not even try to deal with numerous facts of gross violation of the law. The courts obediently remove our candidates from elections. Why Mr. Skuratov – the former Attorney General of Russia is persistently denied registration as a candidate? Isn’t it because the Federal Security Service, which you headed at that time, has played a considerable role in his unlawful dismissal? And after all of this, you go to your Western friends and assure them of the triumph of democracy in Russia.
If this is democracy, what is authoritarianism and lawlessness?
Not relying only on lies and intimidation, the falsification of the election results is being prepared. Obviously not without your consent. It is already been publicly claimed that the "United Russia" will receive 35-40% of the votes. And this is a party that has just emerged, that pushes through destructive laws and is known only because it supports the president and the president supports it. Thus, both of you stand supporting each other, in order not to fall, as the ratings are obviously hollow. Mr. Shaimiev at the previous elections has stolen from us at least 600 thousand votes. It has been proved in the courts. And nevertheless, Mr. Shaimiev heads the "United Russia" candidates list. What is it, if not a signal to the next forgery?
We regard all these ratings lies as preparations for wide falsification of the results of the elections. All, including you, know that the CPRF is supported by over a third of the voters. If you doubt it, ask your special services for the latest data. The real level of the patriotic forces’ support is much higher. We are absolutely confident that the CPRF potential is over 50%. Give us a quarter of the TV time provided to the ruling party, including Zhirinovsky, and you will get immediate confirmation. But power is not based on the "Empire of Lies". Therefore the TV center is guarded much more strongly, than any nuclear reactor.
We understand of course that all this is not an amateur performance by a group of officials. Their actions, undoubtedly, have your full approval. The purpose is obvious. The establishment of the regime of personal power that will transform Russia into an appendage of the global oligarchy, and parliament into a section of the presidential administration, controlled by low-ranking official.
It is high time, however, to think of the long-term consequences. Do not forget, that always and everywhere Bonapartism comes to an end. You should not think the power in Russia could long be upheld by professional liars or a crowd of greedy and unreliable servants, running over from one party to another and now assembled in the "United Russia". They have sold out all the regimes, which they served. They will sell you out. Just give them time.
I inform you that we have called on our supporters to come to the elections and to carry out the most rigid control of their results. Our observers will not leave the polling stations until they receive copies of the protocols. Our supporters are ready to picket the polling stations in order to prevent violations of the law. We shall consider the election commissions’ chairpersons, who will refuse to give out copies of the protocol, to be criminals. If falsification of the elections will take place, we shall, question their legality with all the consequences.
By this letter, I certainly do not hope to return you on the path of prudence. I have no illusions. But I am obliged to warn you. It is my duty to millions of Russia’s citizens suffering for over ten years from gangster capitalism and corrupt officials. Also, it is my duty to the world public that is watching with alarm and bewilderment the developments in Russia.
The lies have short legs. One will not go far on them!
Gennady Zyuganov
Chairman CPRF Central Committee
COMMENT:
An excellent letter, but a bit too late to have any effect. Unfortunately in this letter by Mr. Zyuganov, there is not a word about socialism, resurrection of the Soviet Union or the demand for resignation of the Putin Administration for the economic crimes that they have committed. There is not even a word about the working class or a threat of a General Strike to protest the coming falsifications. No wonder that the apathy of Russians is there – not much difference in approach – since the CPRF is working within this capitalist mafiosi regime and has not fought hard enough to stop some of the terrible laws that were passed by the Russian Duma.
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