United Russia

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United Russia


Image:Edinoros logo.JPG

Leader	Boris Gryzlov

Founded	April 2001
Headquarters	Moscow

Political ideology	Centrism, nationalism, populism
International affiliation	none

Website	www.ER.ru

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United Russia (Yedinaya Rossiya, Russian Единая Россия; the more correct translation is Unified Russia) is a political party in the Russian Federation which usually labels itself centrist. It backs the President, Vladimir Putin and can be seen as his vehicle in the State Duma (the lower house of Russian parliament). It was founded in April 2001 as a merger between Yuriy Luzhkov's, Yevgeny Primakov's and Mintimer Shaeymiev's Fatherland - All Russia party, and the Unity Party of Russia, led by Sergei Shoigu and Alexander Karelin.

United Russia is a relatively new party in the Russian Parliament but has been making great gains in recent federal and local elections due to the popularity of Putin.

In the 2003 parliamentary elections it polled 37% of the party vote. As of January 2005 it controls 305 seats out of 450, which gives it a Constitutional majority. United Russia members also make up 88 out 178 delegates in the Federation Council of Russia, (The Upper House of Parliament). In the 2004 presidential election United Russia supported Vladimir Putin and contributed to his victory.

Image:Putin United Russia.jpg

A number of Ministers in Putin's Government as well as many Regional Governors and other senior government officials throughout Russia are the members of Party. The current head of the United Russia is Duma Speaker and former Interior Minister Boris Gryzlov, elected as a party leader in November 2002.

On its official website the party claims to have 1 150 000 members (15 October, 2006). According to United Russia's own register dated at 2005-09-20, party has 2600 local and 29856 primary offices in all Russia's regions.

The discrepant and very complex ideology of United Russia is sometimes considered to be moderately conservative, conserving the present status quo in the Russian state. United Russia can be considered moderately nationalist on some (international) issues, combined tendencies of pride over accomplishments by the Soviet Union (notably its centralism), but it is not communist. The patriotic aspect of the party is expressed by the Russian Bear on the party flag. Primarily the party's ideology is fully in line with the personal political doctrine of Vladimir Putin and in this sense, has undergone changes.