MOSCOW, February 29 (Itar-Tass) —— The deputy leader of the Just Russia faction in the State Duma, Gennady Gudkov, said that he will be pressing for the triumph of principles of social democracy and expansion of the party’s social base and has no intention of quitting the party.
“In some mass media there have been reports about my intention to quit Just Russia and to revive the People’s Party, of which I was the leader before it joined Just Russia in April 2007. This rumor has nothing to do with the reality,” he said.
“Moreover, Russia these days needs unification trends, and not centrifugal ones,” he said. For that reason Gudkov not only has no intention to quit the party, but also to work for A Just Russia party to become a united social-democratic party of Russia incorporating a wider segment of left-wing forces.
Gudkov believes that in Russia these days there is no serious association of people with the social-democratic ideals, while this ideology is in great demand around the world and is one of the leading mass political forces of today.
“Russia does need such a party,” he said.
“I shall be pressing for the expansion of the social base of the Just Russia and for the triumph of social-democratic principles in that party,” Gudkov said. He suggested starting this process with amending the party’s charter and program in order to adjust them to the international social democratic principles.”
Earlier in the day the representatives of the former Party of Pensioners declared they were restoring their party structure. The Pensioners’ Party, just as the People’s party was disbanded in 2006 in connection with the emergence of A Just Russia.