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United Russia Leader Calls Mironov a ‘Rat’

By Natalya Krainova and Irina Titova

The St. Petersburg Times

Cautious criticism by Federation Council Speaker Sergei Mironov of several Putin initiatives has provoked an angry squabble between two pro-Kremlin parties in what analysts called political posturing ahead of March regional elections.

Mironov, leader of A Just Russia party, said in an interview with Channel One television host Vladimir Pozner on Monday night that his party “strongly objects” to the 2010 budget compiled by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and to several of Putin’s anti-crisis measures.

Mironov — a fierce Putin loyalist who ran against Putin in the 2004 presidential election in what he described as an effort to support Putin’s bid — also told Pozner that the idea that he and his party backed Putin in everything was “outdated,” A Just Russia said on its web site.

A senior United Russia official, State Duma Deputy Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, denounced Mironov’s remarks as “a display of [his] disrespect and inconsistency toward Putin, who has done a lot for the country, society and Mironov himself,” United Russia said in a statement published on its web site late Tuesday.

Duma Deputy Andrei Isayev, in a separate statement on United Russia’s web site late Tuesday, accused Mironov of “lying” about not supporting Putin.

He also said: “Mironov thinks that the situation has become shaky because of the crisis, and he is trying to run from the ship like a rat. But he has forgotten that the ship is not sinking.”

A Just Russia fired back Wednesday, with the leader of its Duma faction, Nikolai Levichev, suggesting that Isayev “drink less” in order to “hallucinate less about rats and cockroaches,” according to a statement on its web site.

Mironov, also in a statement on A Just Russia’s web site Wednesday, declared that his party was in the opposition and said it was “like a red rag to a bull.”

Mironov also said Thursday that “high-ranking members of United Russia were following the course of the Soviet Union’s Communist Party, having the same desire to destroy and humiliate any opponent who doesn’t agree with their opinion,” adding that it was “very dangerous,” Interfax reported.

“By acting in this way, they have not done any favors for the country’s president, or for its leader and prime minister Vladimir Putin,” he said. “They both understand perfectly that there should be a constructive position and different points of view.”

On Wednesday, Isayev, Volodin and Duma Deputy Andrei Vorobyov called on the St. Petersburg Legislative Assembly, which Mironov represents in the Federation Council, to dismiss Mironov, but local United Russia and A Just Russia leaders said the assembly lacked the legal authority to act, Interfax reported.

Vatanyar Yagya, a United Russia deputy in the St. Petersburg Legislative Assembly, said the party’s branch in the parliament had not requested the removal of Mironov from the Federation Council.

“We just pointed out that while occupying the post of the third highest-ranking official in the country, Mironov should show more political acumen,” Yagya told The St. Petersburg Times.

“Ultimately, any person or member of a party has the right to criticize. However, if that person is a state official, they should be aware of what is and is not appropriate,” Yagya said.

Vadim Tyulpanov, leader of United Russia in St. Petersburg’s parliament, said its branch would take Mironov‘s latest statement into consideration when voting for the parliament’s representative in the Federation Council in 2012, Interfax reported.

“It will definitely leave an unpleasant aftertaste,” said Tyulpanov.

Yagya said that the strongest criticism of Mironov had come from United Russia’s representatives in Moscow, but he doubted that Putin himself would react so strongly to the situation.

“I’ve known Vladimir Vladimirovich [Putin] for many years and I think he personally would not have such sharp criticism of Mironov in this instance,” Yagya said.

Oleg Nilov, head of A Just Russia in the city’s parliament, said he “was sure the majority of Russian people shared the point made by Mironov” in the interview, Interfax reported.

While political analysts were divided over whether Mironov had really joined the opposition, they agreed that his statements Monday were an attempt to attract the protest vote ahead of regional elections on March 14.

Alexei Mukhin, an analyst with the Center for Political Information, said Mironov had launched his election campaign but still supported Putin.

Alexander Morozov, a former spokesman for A Just Russia, said Mironov was hoping to steal votes from United Russia in both the March elections as well as October regional elections and the 2011 Duma election.

United Russia swept the last regional elections on Oct. 11 in a victory that opposition parties — and Mironov — have criticized as unfair.

Leaders of the country’s Communist Party said that Mironov was merely feigning criticism of the authorities.

“Both of those parties — United Russia and A Just Russia — have been long seen as the left and right legs of the current authorities,” said Sergei Obukhov, head of the communist Central Committee, Interfax reported. “Therefore, Mironov’s criticism of United Russia’s leader is just an imitation of a fight.”

United Russia, headed by Putin, dominates the State Duma and most regional legislatures. A Just Russia was created in 2006 in what is widely believed to be a Kremlin project aimed at stealing votes from the Communist Party.

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