With Russia Day celebrated across the country, President Vladimir Putin has accepted the offer to take charge of the All-Russia People's Front, aimed at promoting dialogue between different political forces in the state.
Putin, who initiated the creation of the Front, has visited the
second day of the organization’s congress, which took place in
central Moscow on June 11-12.
On his arrival, movie director, Stanislav Govorukhin, who led
Putin’s presidential campaign during last year’s election, has
asked the president “a stupid question” – if he would
agree to head the All-Russia People's Front.
Putin accepted the offer, thanking the audience for “their
trust and support” and urging the new movement to really
reach an all-Russia scale.
“It should become a platform where people of different – at
first sight, opposing – points of view could get together,
discuss the problems and find acceptable means of solving those
problems,” he said.
According to the president, the All-Russia People's Front will
support civil initiatives and volunteering, business and social
programs, promote local self-government and make way for new
social initiatives and leaders.
“The aim of the People’s Front is to provide every person with
a chance to create, to build a great country, a great Russia.
We’re ready to work with everybody, who shares those ideas and
values,” Putin explained.
Parliamentarian for the United Russia party, Olga Timoffeeva,
head of the Business Russia non-governmental organization,
Aleksandr Galushka, and movie director, Stanislav Govorukhin,
will execute the duties of the Front’s co-chairmen during the
next five years.
The movement’s central staff was also elected at the congress.
It’ll consist of 55 people, including such figures as Mosfilm
studios head, Karen Shakhnazarov, noted pediatrician and surgeon,
Leonid Roshal, first female cosmonaut, Valentina Tereshkova, and
artistic director of the Mariinsky Theatre, Valery Gergiev.
Among the other members of the organization’s executive board are
heads of NGOs and non-parliamentary parties, trade union
representatives, scientists and World War II veterans.
The charter and manifesto of the All-Russia People's Front was
approved on Wednesday and the new social movement has received an
official registration. The organizations name was altered as well
and, from now on, it’ll be called “People’s Front – for Russia.”
The idea to form the All-Russia People's Front was first voiced
in 2011 by then-Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, in order to
provide the United Russia with "new ideas, new suggestions and
new faces".
He urged the members of the ruling party to attract NGOs and
politically uncommitted people to the process of selecting
candidates for the parliamentary election.
The Front was intended to become a non-partisan structure,
without any “leading or ruling force” within its ranks.
Later, the concept was upgraded and it was proposed to create a
civil movement, which will still keep its non-partisan status.