Opposition Focused on Meeting on December, 24th and – Divided into 2 Organizing Committee

So, promised meeting of organizing committee on carrying out of the all-Russian meeting "Against falsification on elections" appointed on December, 24th to continue the meeting on Bolotnaya at last took place on Tuesday. It is necessary to say that two organizing committees appeared - one in the edition of magazine "Bolshoy Gorod" from 8 persons and the other in the Central House of Journalist - from approximately 200 participants.

The first organizing committee nobody was especially called (for example, I was not called by anyone to be informed on a place of gathering though the day before I was asked to give the announcement, I was even promised to be phoned at certain hour). Though, in general, it is clear why they didn’t phone – reputable people gathered, not some rags: the journalist Sergey Parhomenko, the party leader of "Solidarity" Boris Nemtsov, the journalist Leonid Parfyonov, the writer Boris Akunin, the Press Secretary of the movement “The Left Front” Anastasia Udaltsova, the lawyer Elena Lukyanova, the party leader of the national freedom (PARNAS) Vladimir Ryzhkov, the deputy of "Fair Russia” Gennady Gudkov (it’s written in "Bolshoy Gorod" that if members of "Solidarity" do not know that their leader is Nemtsov and members of PARNAS do not know about their leader Ryzhkov – these are their problems). As it was found out later, the lawyer Lukyanova is somewhere in Karelia.

At the beginning Sergey Parhomenko (if someone does not know, he is the editor-in-chief of magazine "Vokrug Sveta") set the record straight: "I want to remind that organizing committee – small compact body, so-called executive committee exists somewhere alongside to it - I just remind it to those who didn’t take part directly... Would be so kind, please, to take a sit among journalists, having removed from a table that you do not look as the participants of this organizing committee. Thanks. I am glad that you do not apply".

Event in the House of Journalist was announced to begin at 19.00, but then it was suddenly found out that nobody was going to provide people with free hall. People gathered on a ladder and foyer, went to the buffets - eventually, it was even decided to carry out the meeting in a corridor when administration took pity and opened a small hall on the ground floor where all could take place sitting or standing very closely to each other, some even had to stay behind a door.

For some reason three from four official applicants of the meeting on December, 24^th were from among present at the second organizing committee, only Gudkov and Ponomarev were in “Bolshoy Gorod” - they, actually, reported before those who gathered about previous organizing committee. To answer a question "Who are you, where are you from?" they were not capable, Ponomarev explained, firstly, that in "Bolshoy Gorod" he presented not himself, but replaced Nastia Udaltsova and, secondly, from the very beginning he offered open format of action – all who come can take part in the event.

On the second organizing committee the format was absolutely open. They elected the moderator - Eugene Chirikova. Participants listened to the draft resolution which Lev Ponomarev offered - as a whole it quite suited all. However, I had two amendments to the document - both, judging by applause of all parties, accepted, we would see how would they look like in the final version.

The first one - I asked to cancel subjunctive in a message, supposedly the power most likely will ignore the requirements of the meeting which passed on December, 10th. I told that it had already ignored them in the most simple for execution part – release of political prisoners. For example - one of the applicants of the meeting on December, 10th Sergey Udaltsov received from Zyuzinsky court 15 days of arrest already after the meeting resolution, few days after it the district court rejected his appeal. That is even in such simple matter the power didn’t accept concessions. We will unequivocally receive sufficient number of similar slaps in the face to public opinion to 24^th - so it’s necessary to put it rigidly in the resolution: "The power ignored mass meeting requirements".

The second followed from the first - if the power ignores moderate requirements, radicalism of requirements should accrue, not decrease. On the meeting on December, 10^th two from three persons, if not everyone, called to resignation of "a ruling tandem" and to postponement of presidential election at least till acceptance of new election legislation. All the same people demanded it on the previous meeting - well, it was not written down in earlier resolution from delicacy, but after all our delicate requirements went to you know what place – what’s the reason for coquetry?

Then there appeared thoughts that contradictions between two organizing committees would finally end not in discussions who would mount or protect a scene – there would appear questions about the structure of spokesmen and sequence of performances. Last time it went, to put it mildly, not smoothly, but it’s ok for the first time. However it’s not so clear with the second time as well.

Alexander Ryklin proposed not to force the conflict between two organizing committees - eventually, there can appear one more or even several groups, if someone wants to help – one should welcome it. All agreed with it somehow, but the question with powers of "elite" organizing committee remained to be groundless. Basically, they are good people, but whether we trust them so that they could make final decisions? Or there could be other more democratic approaches?

Though I think that it’s too early to jump off the deep end and to accuse someone - while all goes on benevolently enough and can settle "routinely" so to say. It’s desirable to remain decent people inside opposition and it will distinguish us from opponents to our advantage.

Anatoly Baranov, editor-in-chief of FORUM.msk

PS. Following working groups were formed:

Working out of propaganda production and materials (Miloserdov)

Organization of work of volunteers (Darovina)

Backing of the meeting in the Internet (Bilunov)

Scenario of the meeting (Ponomaryev I)

Scenic and other equipment (Tsarkov)

Communications with regions (Schnejder, Kholmogorov)

Editorial group (Ponomaryov L, Ponomaryov I)

Safety (Tsarkov)

Press-service (Shorina, Udaltsova, Popova)

Legal support and protection of active members (Ponomaryov L, Davidis, Orlov)

Petition for cancellation of elections (Schnejder)

Preparation for municipal elections in Moscow on March, 4th (Мiloserdov)

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