The United the Russian Federation party is preparing a project called “Civil service reserve”. The project is aimed at promoting young peopleu and specialists – members of United the Russian Federation – and helping them in climbing the career ladder. Not srprisingly, human rights activists have been criticizing the project. They believe that a Soviet reality, where people who did not join the Communist Party were impeded in their careers, is returning. (09-APR-07)

Text: HRH/Moscow, by Yanina Savenko. Sources: svobodanews.ru, newsru.com. Photos: ogoniok.com

A few influential State Duma deputies from the United the Russian Federation group initiated the “Civil service protectionismreserve” project.  Yury Shuvalov, the head of the public relations department in the State Duma, was the first to propose the idea. General purport of the project is to help those young people, who have become members of United the Russian Federation, to occupy high posts in the state institutions. According to the member of the United the Russian Federation High Council Valery Ryazanskiy, creating a political reserve and not an administrative one is the best way to form the civil service reserve of the state.

Evasive answers of United Russia’s members
Some colleagues of Mr. Ryazanskiy refused to comment on the project and stated that they were not informed about the initiative. “I know nothing about it, although I’m member of the party’s High Council. If we say that we have a democratic state we should estimate people by their professional characteristics, by their competence and not by their party-membership card. I advocate on behalf of professionals… The main thing is that they benefit the state”, said First Co-speaker of the Duma Liubov Sliska.

Even Communists are against the “Civil service reserve”  
Leaders of all parties have distinctly negative attitude toward the idea of United Russia’s patronage in civil service. The plans of United the Russian Federation to repeat experience of the Soviet Union’s Communist Party (SUCP) shocked even the Russia’s Communists. Former Secretary of the SUCP General Committee, present Co-Chairperson of the RF Communist Party Valentin Kuptsov believes that in the Soviet Union appointment of the functionaries was more democratic than nowadays. “There must have been at least 43 percent of independent (non-party) deputies in the Soviet Parliament, while United the Russian Federation, tries to create a real farce, which will come into conflict with real life and will cause conflict situations on all levels”, said Kuptsov.