On Friday Just Russia has held its third convention where the new rules, program and symbols were adopted. Sergei Mironov announced his party to be “real opposition” speaking right from the State Kremlin Palace. Well, Putin and Medvedev being absent, the venue was located nearly to the Kremlin.  

Shortly before the event Sergei Mironov stated that carrying out the convocation in the Kremlin is a “conspicuous fact proving that a multi-party system is developing in Russia”. Though, it was his only statement in that direction. At the convention Mironov expressed a hope that Putin’s decision to head the “bears” would not result in that “local officials will be turning down all the initiatives originated not by United Russia”.   

Unlike the recent convention of the United Russia, this venue was not featured with political VIP’s, except the leader Sergei Mironov. Instead, there was a big rally where only 258 people out of more than 5,000 turned out to be the party delegates. The rest of the audience was guests, colleagues from European socialist parties and crowds of students with cameras. The delegates were not noticeable among the crowds. The students wandered along the palace’s floors and wondered where the guides were.     

Despite the decision to change the party symbols and get rid of the red color, replacing it with the beige-golden one – so that not to get confused with Communists – the party’s stands were decorated with the red banners and the soviet songs were played in the lobby. And Sergei Mironov himself was wearing a red tie, spotted white.  

The convention was opened with the First Symphony by Tchaikovsky. After the piano player left the stage it was stepped by Sergei Mironov. He did not play the piano, but sang the Russian anthem with a chorus. While the singing was going on, the big screen over the stage was showing pictures of woods, rivers, Red Square sights. There was even a laser show. Probably, all that was intended to conceal the disappointment with the fact that neither Putin nor Medvedev – supported by Just Russia at the elections - visited the event. One may say that Just Russia came to the Kremlin’s door but was not received. Instead, Sergei Mironov read aloud the congratulatory telegrams by the two presidents. The declamation was illustrated with the portraits of Putin and Medvedev shown on the big screen.      

Next 50 minutes Sergei Mironov was telling about the program and goals of the party – fighting corruption, eliminating the gap between rich and poor, removing violence scenes from television. He promised to build a “new socialism”. Sadly he recalled that after Putin headed the United Russia, somewhere in the regions the defeatist voices were heard. Mironov said bravely that the party respects Putin’s decision and mentioned the president anyway had not become the member of United Russia. Then he spoke against the party-based government, saying that “professionalism must be the main criterion when forming the cabinet, and not the party certificate”.   

After the leader’s address the delegates were suggested voting for the new rules which simplify the structure of Just Russia that was built out of three parties. Sergei Mironov was elected the chair with no alternatives suggested. The second in importance post – the first secretary of the Central Council - was taken by the former leader of “Rodina” (Motherland) party Alexander Babakov.   

The major part of the convention was over then. The “party of working people”, called so by Sergei Mironov, demonstrated its good knowledge of what socialism must be like, during the lunch. Everyone was given a voucher for having a lunch which was held in three shifts, 25 minutes each. While the first shift was finishing its food, the guards were restraining the second one waiting for their turn. As usual, the VIP’s tables were laid aside from the common rows.      

The question remained unanswered about any sense of the party’s activities under conditions where the party in power can do whatever it wants. Oksana Dmitrieva, the State Duma deputy, told to a Novaya Gazeta correspondent that United Russia actually is not a party in common meaning of the word, it’s just a “machine for voting”, while Just Russia is the real opposition to the social-economic policy in the county. Answering a question of what exactly such an “opposition” can do in the parliament, Mrs. Dmitrieva complained about impudent behavior by United Russia in the Duma where the “others just cannot do anything.”    

However, sometimes even “oppositional” suggestions get accepted in the Duma. Last Friday the bill, proposed by Sergei Mironov and a group of deputies from Just Russia, was passed in the second and third readings about making the centers of historical heritage of the former presidents Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin. Sounds almost like “at the request of the public”.