Liberal Democratic Party of Russia
Encyclopedia
The Liberal Democratic Party of Russia ( (ЛДПР), Liberal'no-Demokraticheskaya Partiya Rossii (LDPR) is a political party
in Russia. Since its founding in 1991, it has been led by the charismatic and controversial figure Vladimir Zhirinovsky
. Opposing both communism and the "wild" capitalism of the 1990s, the party scored a major success in the 1993 Russian Duma elections
, receiving a plurality vote. In the latest elections in 2007
, the party received 8.14% of the vote, giving it 40 of the 450 seats in the State Duma
. The party's brand and organization are centered around the personality of its leader Zhirinovsky. It is associated with strong nationalist
stances and a law and order
focus. Officially, it describes itself as a centrist
, pro-reform democratic
party and calls for a mixed economy
and a revival of Russia's great power status.
emerged in Soviet Union in the late 1980s in wake of the Gorbachev reforms
. A formal law for this purpose was introduced in October 1990. In April 1991, the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) became the second officially registered party in the country.. According to former CPSU Politburo member Alexander Nikolaevich Yakovlev
, the new party was a joint project of CPSU leadership and the KGB
He described how KGB director Vladimir Kryuchkov
presented the project of the puppet party at a meeting with Mikhail Gorbachev
and informed him about his selection of LDPR leaders and the mechanism of funding. KGB General Philipp Bobkov
described the organization as "Zubatov's
pseudo-party under KGB control that directs interests and sentiments of certain social groups" . The outspoken leader of LDPR, Vladimir Zhirinovsky
, an effective media performer, gained 8% of votes during the 1991 Presidential elections
. He also supported the August 1991 coup attempt.
, the pro-reform party supporting President Boris Yeltsin
, Russia's Choice, received only 15% of the vote, and the new Communist Party of the Russian Federation
only 12.4%. Liberal Democratic Party of Russia emerged as the winner with 22.9% of the popular vote. In effect, the Russian population was divided to those who supported Boris Yeltsin
's reforms and to those who did not. It is regarded that the popularity of Zhirinovsky and his party arose from the electorate's dissatisfaction with Yeltsin, and their desire for a non-communist solution.
Zhirinovsky is credited with having successfully identified the problems of ordinary Russians, and offering simple remedies to solve them. For example, he has suggested that all leaders of organized crime
should be shot, and all Chechens deported from Russia. Zhirinovsky also called for territorial expansion of Russia. Many of Zhirinovsky's views are highly controversial, and the LDPR's success in the early 1990s shocked observers both inside and outside Russia.
(11.2%). The Communists emerged as the winners, with 22.3% of the vote. In the 1999 elections, LDPR received 6.0% of the votes, and recovered in 2003 with a 11.5% ratio.
In the latest elections in 2007
, LDPR received 5,660,823 votes (8.14%) and received 40 seats in the State Duma.
that resulted from Russia's reforms. It favours a mixed economy
with private ownership but with a strong management role reserved for the state. In foreign policy
, the party places a strong emphasis on "civilization
s." It has supported the restoration of Russia with its "natural borders", that include Belarus
and Ukraine
and other former Soviet republics. It sees the unification of Russia and Belarus as a first step in the restoration. The LDPR regard the United States and the Western civilization as the main external threat to Russia, and suggests that Russia should take the side of Islamists
in the fight against the United States. The party has harshly criticised the discrimination against ethnic Russians
in the Baltic states
and demanded that they should be given Russian citizenship and protected against discriminatory legislation.
In specific, the LDPR's main proposals include::
Professor Henry E. Hale lists the party's main policy stands as nationalism
and a focus in law and order
. Although it often uses radical opposition rhetoric, the LDPR frequently votes for government proposals. This has led to speculation that the party receives funding from the Kremlin
.
Despite the name, a widespread opinion outside of Russia is that the party's ideology is not liberal and it is often regarded, especially in external media, as an ultranationalist party
.
The party is in alliance with several parties in the former Soviet republics, including Armenia
, Belarus
, Estonia
and Ukraine
. Its allies in Estonia
support the rights
of the Russian speaking minority.
In 2003, the party claimed 600,000 members and had issued 475,000 party cards. According to a 2008 survey by Colton, Hale and McFaul, 4% of the Russian population are loyalists of the party.
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in Russia. Since its founding in 1991, it has been led by the charismatic and controversial figure Vladimir Zhirinovsky
Vladimir Zhirinovsky
Vladimir Volfovich Zhirinovsky is a Russian politician, colonel of the Russian Army, founder and the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia , Vice-Chairman of the State Duma, and a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe....
. Opposing both communism and the "wild" capitalism of the 1990s, the party scored a major success in the 1993 Russian Duma elections
Russian legislative election, 1993
Legislative elections were held in the Russian Federation on 12 December 1993. At stake were the 450 seats in the State Duma , the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia .-Rules:...
, receiving a plurality vote. In the latest elections in 2007
Russian legislative election, 2007
Legislative elections were held in the Russian Federation on 2 December 2007. At stake were the 450 seats in the State Duma, the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia . Eleven parties were included in the ballot, including Russia's largest party, United Russia, which was supported by...
, the party received 8.14% of the vote, giving it 40 of the 450 seats in the State Duma
State Duma
The State Duma , common abbreviation: Госду́ма ) in the Russian Federation is the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia , the upper house being the Federation Council of Russia. The Duma headquarters is located in central Moscow, a few steps from Manege Square. Its members are referred to...
. The party's brand and organization are centered around the personality of its leader Zhirinovsky. It is associated with strong nationalist
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
stances and a law and order
Law and order (politics)
In politics, law and order refers to demands for a strict criminal justice system, especially in relation to violent and property crime, through harsher criminal penalties...
focus. Officially, it describes itself as a centrist
Centrism
In politics, centrism is the ideal or the practice of promoting policies that lie different from the standard political left and political right. Most commonly, this is visualized as part of the one-dimensional political spectrum of left-right politics, with centrism landing in the middle between...
, pro-reform democratic
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
party and calls for a mixed economy
Mixed economy
Mixed economy is an economic system in which both the state and private sector direct the economy, reflecting characteristics of both market economies and planned economies. Most mixed economies can be described as market economies with strong regulatory oversight, in addition to having a variety...
and a revival of Russia's great power status.
Creation
An effectively multi-party systemMulti-party system
A multi-party system is a system in which multiple political parties have the capacity to gain control of government separately or in coalition, e.g.The Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition in the United Kingdom formed in 2010. The effective number of parties in a multi-party system is normally...
emerged in Soviet Union in the late 1980s in wake of the Gorbachev reforms
Perestroika
Perestroika was a political movement within the Communist Party of the Soviet Union during 1980s, widely associated with the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev...
. A formal law for this purpose was introduced in October 1990. In April 1991, the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) became the second officially registered party in the country.. According to former CPSU Politburo member Alexander Nikolaevich Yakovlev
Alexander Nikolaevich Yakovlev
Alexander Nikolaevich Yakovlev was a Soviet politician and historian who was a Soviet governmental official in the 1980s and a member of the Politburo and Secretariat of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union...
, the new party was a joint project of CPSU leadership and the KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
He described how KGB director Vladimir Kryuchkov
Vladimir Kryuchkov
Vladimir Alexandrovich Kryuchkov was a former Soviet politician and Communist Party member, having been in the organization from 1944 until he was dismissed in 1991...
presented the project of the puppet party at a meeting with Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...
and informed him about his selection of LDPR leaders and the mechanism of funding. KGB General Philipp Bobkov
Philipp Bobkov
Philipp Bobkov is a former director of KGB political police department , which was responsible for suppression of internal dissent in the former Soviet Union...
described the organization as "Zubatov's
Sergei Vasilyevich Zubatov
Sergei Vasilyevich Zubatov was a famous Russian police administrator. Despite rumors, he was never a Colonel in the Special Corps of Gendarmes...
pseudo-party under KGB control that directs interests and sentiments of certain social groups" . The outspoken leader of LDPR, Vladimir Zhirinovsky
Vladimir Zhirinovsky
Vladimir Volfovich Zhirinovsky is a Russian politician, colonel of the Russian Army, founder and the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia , Vice-Chairman of the State Duma, and a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe....
, an effective media performer, gained 8% of votes during the 1991 Presidential elections
Russian presidential election, 1991
Presidential elections were held in the Russian Federation on 12 June 1991. It was the first presidential election in the country's history. Boris Yeltsin was elected President of the Russian SFSR. His running-mate, Alexander Rutskoi, became Vice-President....
. He also supported the August 1991 coup attempt.
1993 Duma elections
In the 1993 Duma electionsRussian legislative election, 1993
Legislative elections were held in the Russian Federation on 12 December 1993. At stake were the 450 seats in the State Duma , the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia .-Rules:...
, the pro-reform party supporting President Boris Yeltsin
Boris Yeltsin
Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin was the first President of the Russian Federation, serving from 1991 to 1999.Originally a supporter of Mikhail Gorbachev, Yeltsin emerged under the perestroika reforms as one of Gorbachev's most powerful political opponents. On 29 May 1990 he was elected the chairman of...
, Russia's Choice, received only 15% of the vote, and the new Communist Party of the Russian Federation
Communist Party of the Russian Federation
The Communist Party of the Russian Federation is a Russian political party. It is the second major political party in the Russian Federation.-History:...
only 12.4%. Liberal Democratic Party of Russia emerged as the winner with 22.9% of the popular vote. In effect, the Russian population was divided to those who supported Boris Yeltsin
Boris Yeltsin
Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin was the first President of the Russian Federation, serving from 1991 to 1999.Originally a supporter of Mikhail Gorbachev, Yeltsin emerged under the perestroika reforms as one of Gorbachev's most powerful political opponents. On 29 May 1990 he was elected the chairman of...
's reforms and to those who did not. It is regarded that the popularity of Zhirinovsky and his party arose from the electorate's dissatisfaction with Yeltsin, and their desire for a non-communist solution.
Zhirinovsky is credited with having successfully identified the problems of ordinary Russians, and offering simple remedies to solve them. For example, he has suggested that all leaders of organized crime
Organized crime
Organized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...
should be shot, and all Chechens deported from Russia. Zhirinovsky also called for territorial expansion of Russia. Many of Zhirinovsky's views are highly controversial, and the LDPR's success in the early 1990s shocked observers both inside and outside Russia.
1995-2007
The Duma elected in 1993 was as interim solution, and its mandate expired in 1995. During the two years, Zhirinovsky's popularity waned, and his party's support was halved in the 1995 electionsRussian legislative election, 1995
Legislative elections were held in the Russian Federation on December 17, 1995. At stake were the 450 seats in the State Duma , the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia ....
(11.2%). The Communists emerged as the winners, with 22.3% of the vote. In the 1999 elections, LDPR received 6.0% of the votes, and recovered in 2003 with a 11.5% ratio.
In the latest elections in 2007
Russian legislative election, 2007
Legislative elections were held in the Russian Federation on 2 December 2007. At stake were the 450 seats in the State Duma, the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia . Eleven parties were included in the ballot, including Russia's largest party, United Russia, which was supported by...
, LDPR received 5,660,823 votes (8.14%) and received 40 seats in the State Duma.
Platform
The Liberal Democratic Party of Russia aims for "a revival of Russia as a great power." It has opposed both communism and the "wild" capitalismCapitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
that resulted from Russia's reforms. It favours a mixed economy
Mixed economy
Mixed economy is an economic system in which both the state and private sector direct the economy, reflecting characteristics of both market economies and planned economies. Most mixed economies can be described as market economies with strong regulatory oversight, in addition to having a variety...
with private ownership but with a strong management role reserved for the state. In foreign policy
Foreign policy
A country's foreign policy, also called the foreign relations policy, consists of self-interest strategies chosen by the state to safeguard its national interests and to achieve its goals within international relations milieu. The approaches are strategically employed to interact with other countries...
, the party places a strong emphasis on "civilization
Civilization
Civilization is a sometimes controversial term that has been used in several related ways. Primarily, the term has been used to refer to the material and instrumental side of human cultures that are complex in terms of technology, science, and division of labor. Such civilizations are generally...
s." It has supported the restoration of Russia with its "natural borders", that include Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
and Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
and other former Soviet republics. It sees the unification of Russia and Belarus as a first step in the restoration. The LDPR regard the United States and the Western civilization as the main external threat to Russia, and suggests that Russia should take the side of Islamists
Islamism
Islamism also , lit., "Political Islam" is set of ideologies holding that Islam is not only a religion but also a political system. Islamism is a controversial term, and definitions of it sometimes vary...
in the fight against the United States. The party has harshly criticised the discrimination against ethnic Russians
Human rights in Estonia
Human rights in Estonia are generally respected by the government, according to US Department of State. Estonia is ranked above-average in democracy, press freedom, privacy and human development...
in the Baltic states
Baltic states
The term Baltic states refers to the Baltic territories which gained independence from the Russian Empire in the wake of World War I: primarily the contiguous trio of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania ; Finland also fell within the scope of the term after initially gaining independence in the 1920s.The...
and demanded that they should be given Russian citizenship and protected against discriminatory legislation.
In specific, the LDPR's main proposals include::
- Reform and consolidation of Russia's judicial system;
- Capital punishmentCapital punishmentCapital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
for those convicted of terrorism, premeditated murder, and other serious crimes; - The abolition of "non-traditional" and "fanatic" religious sects in Russia;
- State ownership of strategic sectors of the economy, particularly natural resources, alcohol, tobacco, and agriculture;
- Lower taxes for domestic producers;
- Unification between Russia and BelarusBelarusBelarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
; - The right to workRight to workThe right to work is the concept that people have a human right to work, or engage in productive employment, and may not be prevented from doing so...
; - Radical reform of the social insurance system;
- State support for science-intensive technologies and agriculture;
- The abolition of government corruption;
- Russian economic sovereignty/protectionism
- Control of all agricultural land by the state.
Professor Henry E. Hale lists the party's main policy stands as nationalism
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
and a focus in law and order
Law and order (politics)
In politics, law and order refers to demands for a strict criminal justice system, especially in relation to violent and property crime, through harsher criminal penalties...
. Although it often uses radical opposition rhetoric, the LDPR frequently votes for government proposals. This has led to speculation that the party receives funding from the Kremlin
Kremlin
A kremlin , same root as in kremen is a major fortified central complex found in historic Russian cities. This word is often used to refer to the best-known one, the Moscow Kremlin, or metonymically to the government that is based there...
.
Despite the name, a widespread opinion outside of Russia is that the party's ideology is not liberal and it is often regarded, especially in external media, as an ultranationalist party
Structure and membership
The party's organization is almost entirely centered around its charismatic leader Vladimir ZhirinovskyVladimir Zhirinovsky
Vladimir Volfovich Zhirinovsky is a Russian politician, colonel of the Russian Army, founder and the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia , Vice-Chairman of the State Duma, and a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe....
.
The party is in alliance with several parties in the former Soviet republics, including Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
, Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
and Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. Its allies in Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
support the rights
Human rights in Estonia
Human rights in Estonia are generally respected by the government, according to US Department of State. Estonia is ranked above-average in democracy, press freedom, privacy and human development...
of the Russian speaking minority.
In 2003, the party claimed 600,000 members and had issued 475,000 party cards. According to a 2008 survey by Colton, Hale and McFaul, 4% of the Russian population are loyalists of the party.
Electoral results
- 1991 presidential electionsRussian presidential election, 1991Presidential elections were held in the Russian Federation on 12 June 1991. It was the first presidential election in the country's history. Boris Yeltsin was elected President of the Russian SFSR. His running-mate, Alexander Rutskoi, became Vice-President....
- 8% - 1993 Duma electionsRussian legislative election, 1993Legislative elections were held in the Russian Federation on 12 December 1993. At stake were the 450 seats in the State Duma , the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia .-Rules:...
- 23% - 1995 Duma electionsRussian legislative election, 1995Legislative elections were held in the Russian Federation on December 17, 1995. At stake were the 450 seats in the State Duma , the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia ....
- 11% - 1996 presidential electionsRussian presidential election, 1996Presidential elections were held in Russia in 1996. Incumbent Russian President Boris Yeltsin was seeking a four-year term after officially winning the 1991 presidential election. The first round was held on 16 June 1996...
- 6% - 1999 Duma electionsRussian legislative election, 1999Legislative elections were held in the Russian Federation on 19 December 1999. At stake were the 450 seats in the State Duma , the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia...
- 5.98% (it contested them as the 'Zhirinovsky Bloc') - 2000 presidential electionsRussian presidential election, 2000Russian presidential elections were held on 26 March 2000. Incumbent Prime Minister, and acting President Vladimir Putin, who had succeeded Boris Yeltsin on his resignation December 31, 1999, was seeking a four-year term in his own right and won the elections in the first round. Polling stations...
- 2.7% - 2003 Duma electionsRussian legislative election, 2003Legislative elections were held in the Russian Federation on December 7, 2003. At stake were the 450 seats in the State Duma , the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia ....
- 12% - 2004 presidential electionRussian presidential election, 2004Presidential elections were held in Russia on 14 March 2004. Incumbent Vladimir Putin was seeking a second full four-year term. He was re-elected with 71.31% of the vote.-Sergey Glazyev:...
(Zhirinovsky decided not to run, his first deputy Oleg MalyshkinOleg MalyshkinOleg Alexandrovich Malyshkin is a Russian politician and member of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia. He was a member of the State Duma of Russia between 2003 and 2007, and stood for President in the Russian presidential election, 2004....
ran instead) - 2% - 2007 Duma electionsRussian legislative election, 2007Legislative elections were held in the Russian Federation on 2 December 2007. At stake were the 450 seats in the State Duma, the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia . Eleven parties were included in the ballot, including Russia's largest party, United Russia, which was supported by...
- 8.8% - 2008 presidential electionRussian presidential election, 2008The Russian Presidential election of 2008, held on March 2, 2008 resulted in the election of Dmitry Medvedev as the third President of Russia. Medvedev, whose candidacy was supported by incumbent president Vladimir Putin and five political parties , received 71% of the vote, and defeated...
- 9.35%
See also
- List of Liberal Democratic Party of Russia deputies in the State Duma
- Liberal Democratic Party of BelarusLiberal Democratic Party of BelarusThe Liberal Democratic Party is a political party in Belarus. It was created in 1994. In the last legislative elections, 13-17 October 2004, the party won 1 out of 110 seats. The party adheres to an ideology similar to that of Liberal Democratic Party of Russia and advocates unification of Russia...
- Liberal Democratic Party of PridnestrovieLiberal Democratic Party of PridnestrovieLiberal Democratic Party of Pridnestrovie is a nationalist and right-wing populist political party in Transnistria....
- Miflaga Mitkademet Liberalit DemokratitLeader (political party)Leader is a minor political party in Israel. Headed by Alexander Radko, it is related to the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia.It has run in elections in 2003, 2006 and 2009. In 2003 it won only 833 votes, the lowest of any party. In 2006 it received 580 votes, again the lowest...