The National State Party of Russia was granted official registration as a political party last week. Had the Justice Ministry been so compliant with regard to all applicants without exception, the new party would have probably gone unnoticed in the pluralist flood. History teaches us, however, that the Justice Ministry denies official registration to parties and organizations the Kremlin doesn't or cannot control (remember Liberal Russia?) - but promptly approves tame or ideologically like-minded organizations.
The National State Party was registered immediately. As the latest political organization to get this treatment, it may be viewed as an indicator of the Kremlin's preferences. What are these preferences?
To answer this question, let us consider some extracts from speeches of party leaders at the inaugural congress, held behind closed doors on February 24. What happened at the congress is no longer a secret, because of the video and audio tapes distributed among party members.
Boris Mironov, a party leader: Let's face it: this party is being formed to fight for places in government bodies. We openly admit that a party of nationalists will come to power. Not patriots, but nationalists... We will prove the futility of the parliamentary path... Implementation of the law on elections will lead Russia into a blind alley... Let us root out all that Yid democratic stuff. We have a common enemy - the Yids; and a common objective - replacing the regime.
Alexander Sevastianov, another party leader: The gap between legitimate and illegitimate forms of political competition has never been so broad.. You understand, of course, that illegitimate forms are not discussed in public... There are many members of Russian National Unity here; they are uncompromising nationalists. We understand that we have achieved what our enemies fear, and what was so difficult to achieve - we formed a consolidated movement, a consolidated platform. Here we are, holding a variety of beliefs, but all of us Russians. The National State Party of Russia is a party of revenge. This is the key word, this is what the people have been waiting for. That's in terms of Russia. In international terms, we are a detachment of the global intifada.
Stanislav Terekhov, a party leader (once leader of the Officer Union, organizer and active participant in the October 1993 riots in Moscow): We are the shock troops of political struggle... We should be ready for all sort of changes. We are not creating a party to formulate or pronounce principles. We are creating it as a battle unit.
There is no point in quoting any more. It should only be noted that delegates at the congress were worried about the ethnic purity of the congress. "In any gathering of ten or more people, not to mention a congress, there will inevitably be at least one Jew," one delegate said. "Those Jews may have Russian or Ukrainian surnames, but they are Jews all the same..."
Some delegates even suggested a special party structure, a kind of "personnel monitoring inspectorate". What counts, however, is that all this was said in the presence of Justice Ministry officials - whose presence at inaugural congresses of political organizations is mandatory when the organizations intend to apply for official registration. The National State Party was registered on September 16.
Party leaders supplied the Justice Ministry with a list of over 11,000 members. According to what information is available, over 7,000 of them became members within four days in August, courtesy of Terekhov. The Justice Ministry overlooked such trifles, and the National State Party of Russia got the Kremlin's blessing to become an official political party. Nazis are not objectionable for the regime - unlike liberals.
"Properly organized Nazism" is a reserve of strength for the regime, for its next battle for a bright, shining future. It is not dangerous for the regime, because of its ideological proximity. (Translated by A. Ignatkin)
_________________________________________________________________ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx