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RPR-Parnas Party co-chairman downplays split

As for future plans, Kasyanov did not rule out that “consolidation of democratic forces will continue”

Mikhail Kasyanov ITAR-TASS/Zurab Djavakhadze

Mikhail Kasyanov

© ITAR-TASS/Zurab Djavakhadze

MOSCOW, March 05. /ITAR-TASS/. Co-chairman of the RPR-Parnas Party Mikhail Kasyanov said there are no “legal risks” related to the resignation of his colleague Vladimir Ryzhkov and a number of his associates.

“We've got six statements on quitting the Party at Perm and Barnaul branches,” Kasyanov told reporters on Wednesday. “There are no legal risks for the Party (in this regard).”

He called Ryzhkov's decision to quit RPR-Parnas “emotional” and “ill-considered.” “The doors are open for him,” he added.

According to Kasyanov, the Party's federal Political Council will re-register ten Party branches. “It has nothing to do with Ryzhkov's resignation; re-registration is carried out wherever the Political Council has incomplete understanding of the Party's real membership,” he said.

As for future plans, Kasyanov did not rule out that “consolidation of democratic forces will continue” after the regional elections and that opposition leader Alexei Navalny's Party of Progress might merge with RPR-Parnas and the December 5 Party which has no formal registration.

On February 8, RPR-Parnas split as Vladimir Ryzhkov, one of the three co-chairpersons and a group of his allies, left Party ranks. Ryzhkov explained his resignation by “ideological differences”. RPR-Parnas had considered possible cooperation with nationalists and radical leftists as well as cooperation with the authorities and participation in the election. Ryzhkov's supporters did not rule the possibility to revive the Republican Party of Russia. A number of experts outlined negative prospects for RPR-Parnas saying that Party membership could eventually plunge to below 500 which is necessary for its registration by government bodies.

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