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Notable centrist politician says decided to abandon A Just Russia party

MOSCOW, 8 March. /TASS/. Russian Member of Parliament Oksana Dmitriyeva, deputy head of the A Just Russia party at the State Duma lower chamber of parliament and ex-head of the party’s branch in Russia’s second largest city, St Petersburg, has said she will continue to be engaged in party construction after abandoning the A Just Russia party.

Dmitriyeva said she was negotiating the creation of a new political coalition of opposition and constructive professionals who were capable of producing a financial and political alternative.

"We will do it until 2016 in order to have all legislative conditions ahead of parliamentary elections," she said adding she was ready to lead the new structure but could not rule out the presence of several leaders in it.

Dmitriyeva said she would file a party abandonment notification in the coming weeks.

"My decision is final, the position consecutive and I never backtrack," she told TASS on Saturday.

"A hypocritical double game is underway in the party," she said. "A Just Russia as a party of constructive, opposition professionals has ceased to exist. A line of back-and-forth marginally populist programmes has raised the upper hand in it."

Dmitriyeva said she would "formulate her decision in the coming weeks."

"And now I want to watch how they will expel me and what will be taking place in the foreseeable future," she said.

Earlier in the week, Dmitriyeva was suspended as head of the party’s regional department in Russia’s second largest city, St. Petersburg, and was replaced with a lawmaker of the State Duma lower chamber of parliament, Oleg Nilov.

After that, Dmitriyeva, one of the most recognisable politicians of A Just Russia, said publicly that she might be expelled from the party.

Meanwhile, Sergey Mironov, the party’s leader, expressed his surprise that Dmitriyeva expected her expulsion.

"We are not going to expel anyone," Mironov told the Vesti on Saturday with Sergey Brilev news programme on the Rossiya 1 television channel.

He also added that Dmitriyeva remained a party member.

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