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A Just Russia member creating Social Democratic Union

Zyuganov and Mironov have repeatedly called for “unification of all left-wing forces”, but each of them is ready to unite only under their own conditions

MOSCOW, April 24 (Itar-Tass) — A founding conference of Russia’s Social Democratic Union will be held in Moscow on Tuesday.

A parliamentarian of the lower house of Russia’s parliament and A Just Russia member, Gennady Gudkov, initiated the creation of a new left-wing movement.

“The conference will take place under the motto “Social democrats of all persuasions, unite!” he told reporters on the eve of the forum.

Gudkov noted that he and his allies decided to create this union as “a platform for dialogue” of all left-wing forces.

“The end goal is to create conditions for unification of left-wing forces into one left-oriented political party,” he said.

Among guests of honour the forum is expected to gather leaders of A Just Russia and the Communist Party, Sergei Mironov and Gennady Zyuganov, Left Front leader Sergei Udaltsov, Yabloko chairman Sergei Mitrokhin and many other left-wing politicians.

Zyuganov and Mironov have repeatedly called for “unification of all left-wing forces”, but each of them is ready to unite only under their own conditions.

Earlier Mironov spoke with restraint about Gudkov’s initiative assuring that he saw no threat for the party’s split.

“We will see what will happen,” he said adding that he strongly supports the unification of left-wing forces.

However, Mironov’s aides said the chairman of A Just Russia would not take part in the founding conference, but prepared a welcoming speech, where he expressed the hope that the yet-to-be union would be able “to bring together all like-minded persons under the social democratic banners and on the social democratic platform.”

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