United Russia Leaders May Not Try to Work with New Deputies from Other Parties, Mari El Leader Says

Paul Goble

            Staunton, September 10 – In many places, deputies who represent parties other than United Russia or no party at all may find themselves facing a stone wall as far as any cooperation with the still dominant party of power, at least if the views of Aleksandr Yevstifeyev, the United Russia head of Mari El is concerned.

            After elections in which non-United Russia candidates made significant inroads in the republic legislature, Yevstifeyev said “there is no need to make any agreement with other parties,” an indication he may simply ignore them (7x7-journal.ru/articles/2019/09/10/net-neobhodimosti-vhodit-v-kakie-to-dogovorennosti-s-drugimi-partiyami-glava-marij-el-ob-itogah-vyborov-v-regione).

            In the outgoing State Assembly, United Russia had 46 f the 52 seats, with the KPRF having fur and the LDPR two. In the new one, United Russia will have only 37, while the KPRF will have nine, LDPR three and Just Russia three, a very different pattern and one that would suggest some cooperation might be in order.   

            Yevstifeyev’s relations with other parties have been fraught. In 2017, the KPRF supported his election by not nominating a candidate of its own; but he then turned on the communists and attacked them for failing to support his budget and generally not doing their job as deputies adequately.