A congress of A Just Russia political party supported on Monday Russian President Vladimir Putin for reelection in the March 2018 presidential poll in Russia. The decision was passed by a majority of votes. The party did not nominate its own candidate and is ready to join the initiative group to nominate Putin to run in the March 2018 presidential election.
A Just Russia is an officially registered Russian center-left party, which upholds the principles of social democracy and modernized socialism. Established on October 28, 2006, as A Just Russia: Motherland/Retirees/Life, as of June 25, 2009 it was renamed and has been known as A Just Russia ever since. At present, the party’s leader is Sergey Mironov.
Party platform and objectives
A Just Russia is aimed at building "a socially-oriented just state" and promotes a "new socialism" policy, describing it as "relevant, democratic and effective." The party’s ideology is built "on the basic values of a modern socialist vision: justice, freedom and solidarity." In particular, the party supports electing Federation Council members and city mayors, granting minority parties the right to representation in the policy-making bodies of the State Duma and regional assemblies, and bolstering the status of regional and municipal MPs. Among the goals set out in A Just Russia’s program are subordinating the state’s economic development strategy to social priorities, a balance of all forms of property, state and public control over natural monopolies and state corporations. In addition, the party calls for the development of civic initiatives, removing barriers between the state and society, transferring some powers from government agencies to NGOs and creating a most favorable status for them, among other things.
Composition and structure
The party’s regional branches operate throughout Russia’s 85 regions.
The convention is the supreme governing body authorized to make decisions in all areas of the party’s activity. It elects A Just Russia’s head, the central council and the central council’s presidium. A convention is assembled not more than once in a two-and-a-half year period.
The party chief carries out the organization’s general and political management. The leader is elected for two and a half years and holds this position for not more than three terms in a row. The party’s chairman cannot head the council of the chamber of deputies at the same time. He leads the central council and its presidium, and is their member.
Participation in federal elections
A Just Russia took part in the presidential election once. In 2012, the party’s leader Sergey Mironov was elected as its presidential candidate. He came in fifth in the election on March 4, 2012, with 3.85% of votes. Vladimir Putin (63.60%) was elected as Russia’s president.
The party has been represented in the Russian State Duma since 2007. Following the December 2, 2007, parliamentary election, A Just Russia entered the fifth State Duma with 7.74% of votes (the fourth place among 11 parties). Following the allotment of mandates, it took 38 out of the 450 seats (the fourth largest faction). The party list was backed by 13.24% of voters (the third place among seven parties). As a result, A Just Russia formed the third largest faction in the sixth State Duma with 64 out of the 450 seats. At the seventh State Duma election of September 18, 2016, it secured 6.22% of votes, and seven party candidates were elected in single-seat electoral districts. It ultimately won 23 seats in the parliament, having formed the fourth largest faction in the seventh State Duma.