MOSCOW, November 17, /ITAR-TASS/. The People’s Alliance party bringing together the supporters of opposition figurehead Aleksey Navalny opened its founding congress in Moscow.

This is already the second founding congress of the party, the first congress was held on December 15, 2012. But at first the Russian Justice Ministry suspended the registration of the party and then denied its registration. The People’s Alliance leadership decided to pass the registration procedure again and a founding congress is needed for this step.

Along with Navalny, the presidium of the party’s founding congress includes former head of Navalny’s election staff at the Moscow mayoral elections Leonid Volkov and former high-ranking official of the consortium Alfa Group Vladimir Ashurkov.

“This is the formal registration of the political force that had already taken shape. According to the results of the Levada Centre sociological survey, as many as 9.8 percent (voters) are ready to vote for Aleksey Navalny’s party,” Volkov stated, opening the congress. Meanwhile, he named the claims of the Justice Ministry farfetched.

In his words, 111 delegates from 48 regions participate in the congress. A chairman of the party is planned to be elected at the congress on Sunday. Navalny is expected to be elected as the party’s chairman.