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St Petersburg opposition not intend to unite after March of Millions

The oppositionists from Democratic St. Petersburg put it clearly that they do not intend to unite with their ideological opponents now

ST. PETERSBURG, September 4 (Itar-Tass) —— The disagreements between St. Petersburg opposition organizations will hardly make them possible to unite after a common March of Millions due on September 15.

Two competing organizing committees claim for a protest action in the Russian northern capital. This fact repeats the situation with the street protests over the State Duma elections. The oppositionists from Democratic St. Petersburg put it clearly that they do not intend to unite with their ideological opponents now.

Last week the coalition of Other Russia, the Human Rights Council, ROT-Front, the Left Alliance, the National Democratic Party filed a bid for a march of up to 10,000 people in downtown St. Petersburg. The second organizing committee Democratic St. Petersburg, which united liberal organizations, hastily filed a similar bid on the next day.

Their representative Tatiana Dorutina told reporters on Tuesday that the first organizing committee “was formed on the sidelines, and many organizations were not invited there.” Member of the federal bureau of the Yabloko Party Nikolai Rybakov linked the creation of the second coalition of the oppositionists with ideological disagreements. “It is impossible to support nationalistic ideas through joint actions,” he said.

Meanwhile, representatives of the first organizing committee are puzzled over another split in the local opposition. After the State Duma election campaign in the previous year and several street actions, which became the most massive in St. Petersburg for the last few years, the organizers also split and held separate events.

“We witness united organizing committees in Moscow and other cities. This is silly, but the opposition cannot come to terms in St. Petersburg,” RPR-PARNAS representative Andrei Pivovarov said.

Deputy of the Legislative Assembly from the Yabloko faction Maxim Reznik believes that a common action is impossible on September 15. “At most what can be done is to end mutual accusations,” he believes.

It was reported on Tuesday that the St. Petersburg Governor’s Office refused to authorize both bids for a march in downtown St. Petersburg. The bids were filed last week. The St. Petersburg authorities offered to the oppositionists to hold only rallies or a march on the outskirts, in the Polyustrovsky Park.