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NATIONALISM, EXTREMISM AND XENOPHOBIA
Extremism and xenophobia in electoral campaigns in 1999 and 2000

Ekaterina Mikhailovskaya

RESULTS OF THE PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION 1999 FOR NATIONAL-PATRIOTS (INCLUDING THE PRO-EMPIRE ORIENTED ONES).
DROWNING BY NUMBERS


The author extends her utmost gratitude to V. Pribylovsky and G. Belonuchkin for their consultations.

At the State Duma election of December 19, 1999, seven election associations, that could be defined as belonging to the national-patriotic (including pro-empire national) segment of the Russian political spectrum, took part in the federal district race. They are as follows: Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF), Zhirinovsky’s Block (BZh; one of the numerous faces of the Liberal Democratic Party of the Russian Federation (LDPR)), All-Russian Political Movement “In Support of the Army” (DPA) of Victor Ilyukhin – Albert Makashov, Block “Russian Deed”, Block “Congress of Russian Communities and Yuri Boldyrev’s Movement” (KRO-DUB; where only the “KRO” (Congress of Russian Communities - part led by Dmitry Rogozin) is actually national-patriotic), Union of All Russian People (ROS) of Sergei Baburin and All-Russian Public Political Movement “Spiritual Heritage” (DN) of Alexei Podberezkin.

In spite of the fact that, judging by the attitudes of its general members and partly by the orientation of its very program, the CPRF is a Communist party, its dominating leadership group (including Gennady Zyuganov) stands for national-patriotic ideology, which makes it possible for us to view the CPRF both as a communist organization and as a national-patriotic organization. In S. Chernyakhovsky's work "Communist Associations", for example, one can find information on "harmonic unity" of socialist and world power (derzhavnost) ideals in the program documents of the CPRF (Russia on the Eve of the Duma Election 1999/under the editorship of M. McFaul, N. Petrov, A. Ryabov; Carnegie Moscow Center. - M.: Gendalf. 1999. -pp. 103-106).
The label "national-patriots" is used herein in its traditional "broad" interpretation, that is -- in order to pinpoint politicians/parties/movements/election associations both of "purely" nationalist orientation (in the sense of ethnic nationalism) and world power, empire-nationalist orientation (for elaborate definition of the term "national-patriots" and the classification of national-patriots, see V. Pribylovsky's paper "National-Patriots at the Election for the III State Duma"). At the same time, the term national-patriots is not being used in reference to the new political generation of the world power-reformers (as opposed to the traditional world power-restaurateurs), in whose frame we can place the Movement "Edinstvo/Medved" ("Unity/Bear"), part of the "Motherland" (including Luzhkov personally) and part of the right-wing liberals.
In order to assess the results achieved by the national-patriots at the Parliamentary Election 1999, it makes sense to turn to the brief history of the newest Russian Parliamentarism so as to recall the national-patriots past achievements.

ELECTION 1993
In the frame of the State Duma Election of December 12, 1993, two associations of national-patriotic (pro-empire) orientation took part in the federal district race -- i.e., the LDPR and CPRF. They respectively made it to the first and first places among the total of 13 election associations that participated in the election. The LDPR's list received 12 318 562 votes (22.92%; 59 places in the Duma via the party list). The CPRF's list received 6 666 402 votes (12.4%; 32 places in the Duma via the party list). In addition to that, 13 members of the CPRF were elected to the Duma via single-mandate districts.
The list of Sergei Baburin's ROS (Union of All Russian People) was not registered for the election. Still, 5 members of the ROS (namely, Sergei Baburin, Sergei Glotov, Anatoly Greshnevikov, Ivan Anichkin and Anatoly Lukyanov) as well as Tamara Leta, supporter ("storonnitsa") of the ROS, were elected to the Duma via single-mandate districts.
Hence, all together, at the Duma Election 1993, 18 984 964 persons or, in other words, 35.32% of all the Russians that actually participated in the election voted for the national-patriot (pro-empire) lists.

ELECTION 1995
In the frame of the State Duma Election of December 17, 1995, the following nine associations of national-patriotic (including pro-empire) orientation took part in the federal district race: CPRF, LDPR, "Congress of Russian Communities' (KRO) of Yuri Skokov, Alexander Lebed', and Sergei Glazyev, Social-Patriotic Movement "Derzhava" ("The Power") of Alexander Rutskoi, Block "Power to the People" (Sergei Baburin, Nikolai Ryzhkov, Stanislav Terekhov), Stanislav Govorukhin's Block, National-Republican Party of Russia (NRPR) of Nikolai Lysenko, Block "For Motherland!" of Vladimir Polevanov (the first -- before the "Bear" ("Medved") -- attempt of the federal executive authorities at creating a "world power" block), and All Russian People's Movement of Alexander Bazhenov. A similar distribution of the electors' preferences (in a somewhat different classification), including distribution in the regional projection, can be found in the work of V. Kozlov and D. Oreshkin "Typology of Regions by Political Preferences of the Electors" (Election of the State Duma Deputies of 1995. Election Statistics. -M.: "Ves' Mir" ("All the World"). 1996. -p.241 and further).
In the tables bellow, in parenthesis, next to the absolute result, we indicated the place, which each particular election association won in the election race; the participants that made it both to the top-1995 and to the top-1999 are marked "bold".

Election Association

Number of Votes cast for the List

%

Places in the Duma
(re: list)

Deputies elected by the single-mandate districts

Total Number of places in the Duma

CPRF

15 432 963 (1)

22,3

99

58

157

LDPR

7 737 431 (2)

11,18

50

-

50

KRO

2 980 137 (7)

4,31

-

5

5

The Power (Derzhava)

1 781 233 (11)

2,57

-

-

-

Power to the People!

1 112 873 (13)

1,61

-

9

9

Stanislav Govorukhin's Block

688 496 (18)

0,99

-

1

1

NRPR

331 700 (24)

0,48

-

-

-

For Motherland!

194 254 (28)

0,28

-

-

-

ROD

86 422 (36)

0,13

-

-

-

Total

30 345 509

43,85

149

74

223

Out of the nine deputies from the Block "Power to the People!" elected in the single-mandate districts, four were members of the ROS (Sergei Baburin, Anatoly Greshnevikov, Sergei Glotov and Nina Zatsepina). Another member of the ROS, Ivan Anichkin, ran as independent candidate and was also elected to the Duma.

OTHER ELECTIONS
At the Presidential race of 1991, there were two candidates that broadly used nationalistic and world-power rhetoric in their election campaigns. They were Vladimir Zhirinovsky and Albert Makashov. Zhirinovsky received 6 211 007 votes (7.81%; third place out of six participants). Makashov ended up with 2 969 511 (3.74%; fifth place out of six participants). All-together, 9 180 518 persons (11.55% of all people that participated in the voting) gave their voices in support of the candidates of nationalistic orientation.
At the Presidential race of 1996, there were three national-patriots (out of 10 candidates) -- two "empire-supporters" (Gennady Zyuganov and Vladimir Zhirinovsky) and one ethnic nationalist (Yuri Vlasov).

Candidates

Number of votes

in %

G. Zyuganov, I tour

24 211 686 (2)

32,03

V. Zhirinovsky

4 311 479 (5)

5,7

Yu. Vlasov

151 282 (9)

0,2

Total, I tour

28 674 447

37,93

G. Zyuganov, II tour

30 104 589

40,31

When attempting to evaluate the results, one must take it in consideration that in spite of the fact that Zyuganov himself is an almost "genuine" pro-empire patriot, a rather significant part of his electorate (it is impossible to come up with specific numbers) voted for him as for a Communist candidate (not as for a national-patriotic candidate).

ELECTION 1999: GENERAL RESULTS
In the result of the Parliamentary Election 1999, two associations of national-patriotic (pro-empire) orientation overcame the 5% election barrier. These were, as usual, the CPRF and the LDPR (the latter in the image of Zhirinovsky's Block). The other five national-patriotic associations did not make it to the Duma, and the very best result among them -- the one belonging to the KRO-DUB -- amounted to 0.67% only.

Election Association

Number of Votes cast for the List

%

Places in the Duma
(re: list)

Deputies elected by the single-mandate districts Total Number of places in the Duma

CPRF

16 195 569 (1)

24,3

67

46

108

Zhirinovsky's Block (LDPR)

3 989 932 (5)

5,98

17

-

17

KRO-DUB

405 295 (12)

0,67

-

1

1

DPA

384 392 (15)

0,58

-

2

2

ROS

245 266 (19)

0,37

-

2

2

Russian Deed

112 230 (21)

0,17

-

-

-

Spiritual Heritage

67 417 (24)

0,1

-

1

1

Total

21 400 101

32,17

 

 

131

By 1993

+ 2 415 137

-3,15

 

 

 

By 1995

- 8 945 408

-11,68

 

 

-92
(assessment)

The table above comprises the official data provided by the Central Election Committee, including the data on the Deputies elected via single-mandate districts. In accordance with G. Belonuchkin's calculations, 16 single-mandate Deputies can be classed among "the CPRF's Circle" and two single mandate Deputies (namely, M. Gutseriev and M. Kuznetsov) can be enrolled among Zhirinovsky's ranks.
Hence, the results of national patriots for the year 1999 proved to be better than their results of 1993 (18 million votes or 35% of electors) but much worse than the results achieved by them in the previous election cycle (30 million votes or 43% of electors).

COMMUNIST PARTY OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION (CPRF)
At the Parliamentary Election 1999, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation won the first place. It received 16 195 569 – or 24.3% -- votes of the electors. All-together, the CPRF obtained 67 places in the Duma via the party lists and 46 places in the Duma for Communist Deputies of single-mandate districts. As is demonstrated above, the electorate of the CPRF per se has slightly grown, but the number of electors that voted for the national-patriotic candidates (world-power candidates) decreased by 9 000 000 persons. The table below, on the other hand, shows what was going on with Communist electorate. By Communist electorate of 1995, I mean the election associations that formed the so called “left majority” of the second State Duma (CPRF Fraction – Agrarian Deputies’ Group – “People’s Power” Group). By the Communist electorate of 1999, I mean the “three columns” of people’s patriotic forces (CPRF, Movement in Support of the Army (DPA) and “Spiritual Heritage") and radical Communists. For more information on the same subject, please see A. Verkhovsky’s circumstantial article in the newspaper “Russian Thought” (No. 4299 of January 6-12, 2000).

Communist electorate at the Parliamentary Elections of 1995 and 1999

 

1995

1995, %

 

1999

1999, %

CPRF

15 432 963

22,3

CPRF

16 195 569

24,3

 

DPA

384 392

0,58

 

Spiritual Heritage

67 417

0,1

Communists – Russia of Labor – For the Soviet Union

3 137 406

4,53

Communists – Russian Workers – For the Soviet Union

1 482 018

2,22

 

 

 

Stalin's Block – Russia of Labor, Soldiers - For USSR

404 259

0,61

Agrarian Party of Russia

2 613 127

3,78

-

-

-

Power to the People!

1 112 873

1,61

ROS

245 266

0,37

 

 

 

Party of Peace and Unity

247 039

0,37

TOTAL

22 296 369

32,22

TOTAL (w/out ROS)

18 780 694

28,18

The ROS’ result (which is next to naught anyway) is not taken into consideration when summing up the total due to the fact that the ROS is not a Communist association, as opposed to the Block “Power to the People!” at the election of 1995, which in addition to the nationalist Baburin comprised, for example a “non-party Communist” Nikolai Ryzhkov.
Hence, during the period of four year, the Communist electorate decreased by 3.5 million electors, which is more that 4%. The “best” and “worst” tens of Russian regions in relation to the CPRF are listed in the tables below.

Best results of the CPRF in the subjects of the Russian Federation in 1995 in comparison with 1999

Subject of the RF

1995

1995,%

1999

1999, %

Republic of North Ossetia -- Alania

136 163

51,7

98 806

42,1

Kemerovo Region

642 911

48,1

340 744

28,9

Oryol Region

216 514

44,9

200 970

42,1

Republic of Dagestan

363 466

43,6

365 555

37,6

Republic of Adygeya

88 576

41,1

82 204

39,4

Tambov Region

267 149

40,3

190 324

32,5

Karachayevo- Cherkess Republic

71 052

40,0

80 303

40,8

Penza Region

305 812

37,3

211 161

29,0

Ulyanovsk Region

266 595

37,1

230 664

33,0

Bryansk Region

271 791

35,4

284 313

40,8

Best results of the CPRF in the subjects of the Russian Federation at the election of 1999

Subject of the RF

Results

%

Republic of North Ossetia -- Alania

98 806

42,1

Oryol Region

200 970

42,1

Karachaevo-Cherkess Republic

80 303

40,8

Bryansk Region

284 313

40,8

Republic of Adygeya

82 204

39,4

Lipetsk Region

223 540

39,0

Republic of Dagestan c

365 555

37,6

Krasnodar Territory

827 432

36,8

Altai Territory

472 444

36,8

Chuvash Republic

204 747

35,6

Worst results of the CPRF in the subjects of the Russian Federation in 1995 in comparison with 1999

Subject of the RF

1995

1995,%

1999

1999, %

Ingush Republic

3 306

5,1

1 497

1,8

Taimyrsky (Dolgan-Nenets) Autonomous Area

1 071

6,1

1 239

7,6

Chukchi Autonomous Area

4 448

11,0

3 386

11,1

Koryak Autonomous Area

1 385

10,0

1 546

11,7

Sverdlovsk Region

149 356

8,25

214 803

12,0

Murmansk Region

53 114

11,0

59 129

13,0

Yamal-Nenets

Autonomous Area

10 462

5,6

26 184

13,5

Perm' Region

130 081

11,1

165 671

14,2

Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area

35 454

8,0

81 315

15,5

Kamchatka Region

18 752

11,3

27 308

17,8

Worst results of the CPRF in the subjects of the Russian Federation at the election of 1999

Subject of the RF

Results

%

Ingush Republic

1 497

1,8

Taimyr (Dolgan-Nenets) Autonomous Area

1 239

7,6

Republic of Tuva

9 239

8,3

Chukchi Autonomous Area

3 386

11,1

Koryak Autonomous Area

1 546

11,7

Moscow

544 060

11,8

Sverdlovsk Region

214 803

12,0

Evenk Autonomous Area

959

12,1

Murmansk Region

59 129

13,0

Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area

26 184

13,5

The comparison of the tens demonstrates that, first of all, the CPRF’s electorate possesses the stability quite extraordinary for the Russian contemporary circumstances and, second of all, in the last few years there has been going on a certain regions-wise “alignment” of that electorate.

LDPR (ZHIRINOVSKY’S BLOCK)
At the Parliamentary Election 1999, Zhirinovsky’s Block (electoral double of the LDPR whose appearance is linked to the sinuosities of Vladimir Zhirinovsky’s relationships with the Central Election Committee) won the fifth place, having received 3 989 932 votes, or 5.98%, which leaves them with 17 places in the Duma via the party list. Furthermore, three Deputies that are, to say the least, closely connected to the LDPR – Mikhail Gutseriev (Ingush electoral district No. 12; Vice-Speaker from the LDPR in the second Duma), Mikhail Kuznetsov (Pskov electoral district No. 141; member of the LDPR Fraction and Vice-Chair of the Budget Committee in the second Duma) and Evgeny Ischenko (Central electoral district No. 71, Volgograd Region; member of the LDPR Fraction in the second Duma, left the Fraction in 1999).

The electoral dynamics of the LDPR clearly testifies to the contraction of the party’s electoral base, which has shrunk more than threefold in the absolute system of measurements and more than fourfold in percentages.

1993

1993,%

1995

1995, %

1999

1999,%

12 318 562 (1)

22, 92

7 737 431 (2)

11,18

3 989 932 (5)

5,98

 

 

- 4 518 131

(by 1993)

- 11, 74

(by 1993)

- 3 747 499

(by 1995)

- 5,2

(by 1995)

Below please find the LDPR’s best and worst tens of Russian regions.

Best results of the LDPR in the subjects of the Russian Federation in 1995 in comparison with the results of Zhirinovsky’s Block in 1999

Subject of the RF

1995

1995,%

1999

1999, %

Magadan Region

22 308

22,3

10 114

11,5

Komi-Permyak Autonomous Area

13 726

21,7

7 004

11,5

Pskov Region

97 965

20,9

28 982

7,0

Republic of Mari El

76 121

20,7

24 963

7,9

Chita Region

106 130

20,6

60 904

12,7

Primorski Territory

193 235

20,1

93 369

10,1

Bryansk Region

152 031

19,8

51 190

7,3

Kurgan Region

10 175

19,6

45 463

8,9

Smolensk Region

118 618

19,6

35 743

6,9

Republic of Mordovia

89 993

19,5

25 008

4,9

Best results of the LDPR in the subjects of the Russian Federation at the election of 1999

Subject of the RF

Results

%

Chita Region

60 904

12,7

Magadan Region

10 114

11,5

Komi-Permyak Autonomous Area

7 004

11,5

Amur Region

148 063

11,3

Murmansk Region

50 948

11,2

Kamchatka Region

16 707

11,0

Nenets Autonomous Area

2 256

10,7

Sakhalin Region

24 015

10,6

Primorski Territory

93 369

10,1

Ivanovo Region

55 280

9,5

Worst results of the LDPR in the subjects of the Russian Federation in 1995 in comparison with the results of Zhirinovsky’s Block in 1999

Subject of the RF

1995

1995,%

1999

1999, %

Republic of Dagestan

8 211

1,0

3 935

0,4

Ingush Republic

1 346

2,1

424

0,5

Moscow

111 642

2,5

138 362

3,0

Kabardin-Balkar Republic

10 624

3,1

5 202

1,3

St.-Petersburg

77071

3,4

84 874

4,2

Republic of Bashkortostan

96 430

4,6

65 644

3,1

Republic of Tatarstan

76 064

4,8

61 020

3,1

Moscow Region

180 799

5,2

161 312

4,8

Republic of Tuva

5 914

5,4

2 650

2,4

Kursk Region

43 767

6,1

34 869

5,6

Worst results of the LDPR in the subjects of the Russian Federation at the election of 1999

Subject of the RF

Results

%

Republic of Dagestan

3 935

0,4

Ingush Republic

424

0,5

Kabardin-Balkar Republic

5 202

1,3

Republic of Tuva

2 650

2,4

Karachayevo-Cherkess Republic

5 283

2,7

Moscow

138 362

3,0

Republic of Bashkortostan

65 544

3,1

Republic of Tatarstan

61 020

3,1

Republic of Kalmykia

4 037

3,2

St.-Petersburg

84 874

4,2

It should be noted that the shrinkage of the LDPR’s electoral base was taking place gradually and evenly. It should be also noted that there is a stable group of regions “unfavorable” for the LDPR. Finally, assessing the comparison of the best tens for the years 1995 and 1999, we can place it on record that the LDPR’s electorate is not marked by faithfulness.
The remaining five national-patriotic associations together obtained 1.89% of the electors’ votes, which testifies to their complete “electoral nothingness”. Still and all, just for the reader’s information, we shall list the best and worst results of these five associations at the Parliamentary Election 1999 and, wherever possible, at the Election 1993.

CONGRESS OF RUSSIAN COMMUNITIES AND YURI BOLDYREV’S MOVEMENT (KRO-DUB)
At the Election 1999, the Block “Congress of Russian Communities and Yuri Boldyrev’s Movement” came twelfth, having received 405 295 – or 0.67% -- votes of the electors. In addition to that, one Deputy from the KRO-DUB – KRO leader, Dmitry Rogozin – was also elected to the Duma, or re-elected, to be exact (Anninsky single-mandate district No. 74, Voronezh Region; received 96 403 – or 32.5% -- of the electors’ votes, while his main adversary -- Secretary of the CPRF’s regional Committee, Sergei Rudakov – received 83 028 – or 28% -- of the electors’ votes.

Best results of the KRO in the subjects of the Russian Federation in 1995 in comparison with the results of KRO-DUB in 1999

Subject of the RF

1995

1995,%

1999

1999, %

Tula Region

97 173

10,0

4 305

0,5

Kaliningrad Region

41 702

9,2

2 546

0,6

Stavropol Territory

105 409

8,5

9 187

0,8

Evenk Autonomous Area

685

8,5

36

0,5

Tver Region

70 316

8,0

4 644

0,6

Ryazan Region

51 530

7,2

2 540

0,4

Chelyabinsk Region

121 568

7,3

6 524

0,4

Moscow Region

236 955

6,8

23 035

0,7

Kaluga Region

36 562

6,6

2 749

0,5

Krasnodar Territory

150 121

6,6

10 988

0,5

Worst results of the KRO in the subjects of the Russian Federation in 1995 in comparison with the results of KRO-DUB in 1999

Subject of the RF

1995

1995,%

1999

1999, %

Ingush Republic

455

0,7

64

0,08

Aginsky Buryat Autonomous Area

243

0,8

25

0,08

Republic of Tuva

1 014

1,0

167

0,2

Republic of Dagestan

8 648

1,0

217

0,02

Chechen Republic

2 816

1,0

-

-

Komi-Permyak Autonomous Area

627

1,0

303

0,5

Ust-Ordynsky Buryat Autonomous Area

559

1,0

63

0,1

Republic of Bashkortostan

22 623

1,1

5 927

0,3

Republic of Buryatia

6 121

1,4

782

0,2

Amur Region

7 290

1,6

1 043

0,3

When studying the tables above, one must take it into consideration that the KRO of 1995 (Alexander Lebed’s party) has absolutely nothing in common with the KRO of 1999, except the name and except Dmitry Rogozin, who has been the KRO’s leader (or one of the leaders) since the very moment of the organization’s creation in October 94 – January 1995.

MOVEMENT IN SUPPORT OF THE ARMY (DPA)
At the Parliamentary Election 1999, the All-Russian political movement “In Support of the Army” came fifteenth, having received 384 392 – or 0.58% -- of the electors’ votes. Two Deputies from the DPA were elected to the Duma via single-mandate districts: Victor Ilyukhin (Pervomaisky electoral district No. 136, Penza Region; received 111 532 – or 30.6% -- of the electors’ votes, while his main adversary, Vladimir Ruzlyaev, candidate of the “Motherland – The Entire Russia”, known for his participation in Russian military operations in Afghanistan, received 71 825 -- or 19.7% -- of the electors’ votes) and Georgy Kostin (Pravoberezhny electoral district No. 77, Voronezh Region; received 66 1999 – or 21.6% -- of the electors’ votes, while his main adversary, Vera Popova, Director General of Voronezh Center of International Trade, received 35 354 – or 11.5% -- of the electors’ votes; 16.6% of the electors – 50 858 persons – voted “against all candidates”).

Best results of the DPA in the subjects of the Russian Federation at the Election 1999

Subject of the RF

Results

%

Penza Region

11 808

1,62

Lipetsk Region

7 314

1,28

Ryazan Region

6 753

1,09

Primorski Territory

9 003

0,97

Omsk Region

9 100

0,96

Khabarovsk Territory

5 983

0,94

St.-Petersburg

18 609

0,93

Orenburg Region

8 886

0,86

Moscow Region

29 809

0,88

Moscow

38 491

0,83

Worst results of the DPA in the subjects of the Russian Federation at the Election 1999

Subject of the RF

Results

%

Ingush Republic

77

0,09

Republic of Tuva

130

0,12

Republic of Dagestan

1 712

0,18

Republic of Altai

174

0,18

Republic of Bashkortostan

3 897

0,19

Aginsky Buryat

Autonomous Area

60

0,19

Ust-Ordynsky Buryat Autonomous Area

118

0,20

Republic of Mordovia

1 153

0,23

Udmurt Republic

1 787

0,24

Magadan Region

213

0,24

Koryak Autonomous Area

32

0,24

Taimyr (Dolgan-Nenets) Autonomous Area

39

0,24

UNION OF ALL RUSSIAN PEOPLE (ROS)
At the Parliamentary Election 1999, the election association “Union of All Russian People” came nineteenth, having received 245 266 – or 37% -- of the electors’ votes. Two Deputies from the ROS were elected via single-mandate districts: Anatoly Greshnevikov (Rybinsky electoral district No. 190, Yaroslavl Region; received 131 108 – or 34.4% -- of the electors’ votes, while his main adversary, Tatiana Moskalkova, candidate of the “Apple” (“Yabloko”) received 74 243 – or 19.5% -- of the electors’ votes) and Sergei Shashurin (Privolzhsky electoral district No. 26, Tatarstan; received 69 693 – or 21.1% -- of the electors’ votes, while his main adversary, Dmitry Berdnikov, independent candidate, received 38 206 – or 11.6% -- of the electors’ votes). Furthermore, two ROS’ “supporters” (special status of “supporter”/"storonnik" officially exists in the framework of the ROS) were elected to the Duma via single-mandate electoral districts. Both of the ran as “independent” candidates. They are, namely, Vladimir P. Nikitin (Kalinigradsky electoral district No. 84; received 120 879 – or 29.2% -- of the electors’ votes, while his main adversary, Sergei Medvedev, independent candidate, received 66 206 – or 16% -- of the electors’ votes) and Nikolai Bezborodov (Kurgansky electoral district No. 95; received 162 496 – or 31.8% -- of the electors’ votes, while his main adversary, Vladimir Usmanov, independent candidate, received 71 591 – or 14% -- of the electors’ votes). The ROS’ leader, Sergei Baburin, who was running in his “native” Central electoral district No. 130 (Omsk Region) only got the third place among 11 candidates, having received 33 899 – or 12.01% -- of the electors’ votes.

Best results of the Block “Power to the People!” in the subjects of the RF in 1995 in comparison with the ROS’ results in 1999

Subject of the RF

1995

1995,%

1999

1999, %

Omsk Region

87 036

8,4

7 549

0,8

Republic of Sakha

29 145

7,5

10 396

2,8

Republic of Buryatia

15 914

3,7

616

0,2

Khabarovsk Territory

22 854

3,25

1 133

0,2

Tyumen Region

16 921

3,1

1 611

0,3

Aginsky Buryat Autonomous Area

958

3,1

58

0,2

Belgorod Region

24 227

3,0

2 780

0,2

Komi-Permyak Autonomous Area

1 863

3,0

129

0,2

Krasnodar Territory

59 811

2,6

6 294

0,3

Jewish Autonomous Region

2 329

2,6

120

0,2

Worst results of the Block “Power to the People!” in the subjects of the RF in 1995 in comparison with the ROS’ results in 1999

Subject of the RF

1995

1995,%

1999

1999, %

Kemerovo Region

5 895

0,5

1 407

0,1

Republic of Dagestan

3 884

0,5

317

0,03

Chechen Republic

1606

0,5

-

-

Ingush Republic

385

0,6

101

0,1

Moscow

29 419

0,7

53 522

1,2

Kursk Region

4 911

0,7

991

0,2

Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area

12 69

0,7

271

0,1

St.-Petersburg

17 271

0,8

5 716

0,3

Kabardin-Balkar Republic

3 073

0,9

1 003

0,3

Magadan Region

847

0,9

119

0,1

When studying the tables above, one must take it into consideration that, besides the ROS, the Block “Power to the People” also comprised Stanislav Terekhov’s “Army Officers’ Union”, the non-party communist Nikolai Ryzhkov (continues perceiving himself as member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union), Georgy Tikhonov, and so on.

RUSSIAN DEED
At the Parliamentary Election 1999, the Block “Russian Deed” came twenty-first, having received 112 230 – or 0.17% -- of the electors’ votes.

Best results of the “Russian Deed” in the subjects of the RF at the Election 1999

Subject of the RF

Results

%

Komi-Permyak Autonomous Area

190

0,31

St.-Petersburg

5 214

0,26

Leningrad Region

1 878

0,26

Tula Region

2 109

0,25

Evenk Autonomous Areat

20

0,25

Moscow Region

8 222

0,24

Oryol Region

1 088

0,23

Tver Region

1 815

0,23

Vladimir Region

1 586

0,22

Chuvash Republic

1 238

0,22

Worst results of the “Russian Deed” in the subjects of the RF at the Election 1999

Subject of the RF

Results

%

Republic of Dagestan

433

0,04

Ingush Republic

45

0,05

Republic of Kalmykia

81

0,06

Kabardin-Balkar Republic

265

0,07

Republic of Tuva

81

0,07

Magadan Region

73

0,08

Republic of Karelia

310

0,09

Republic of Bashkortostan

1980

0,09

Republic of Mordovia

530

0,10

Aginsky Buryat Autonomous Area

34

0,11

SPIRITUAL HERITAGE
At the Parliamentary Election 1999, the All-Russian Public-Political Movement “Spiritual Heritage” came twenty-fourth, having received 67 417 – or 0.1% -- of the electors’ votes. Valery Vorotnikov, candidate of the “Spiritual Heritage” was elected to the Duma via single-mandate district (Serovsky electoral district No. 167, Sverdlovsk Region; received 66 994 – or 28.7% -- of the electors’ votes, while his made adversary, Andrei Selivanov, candidate of the “Union of the Right Forces”, received 56 073 – or 24% -- of the electors’ votes). Alexei Podberezkin, leader of the “Spiritual Heritage” came fifth among ten candidates running in the Central electoral district No. 202 (Moscow), having received 12 601 – or 4.6% -- of the electors’ votes (while the winner, Nikolai Gonchar, independent candidate, received 88 456 – or 32.2% -- of the electors’ votes).

Best results of the “Spiritual Heritage” in the subjects of the RF at the Election 1999

Subject of the RF

Results

%

Ryazan Region

1 848

0,3

Taimyr (Dolgan-Nenets) Autonomous Area

39

0,24

Komi-Permyak Autonomous Area

127

0,21

Sverdlovsk Region

3 089

0,17

Altai Territory

152

0,16

Leningrad Region

1 132

0,15

Moscow Region

5 021

0,15

Moscow

6 956

0,15

Irkutsk Region

1 363

0,14

Kaluga Region

742

0,14

Kamchatka Region

210

0,14

Perm Region

1 672

0,14

Worst results of the “Spiritual Heritage” in the subjects of the RF at the election 1999

Subject of the RF

Results

%

Republic of Kalmykia

29

0,02

Aginsky-Buryat Autonomous Area

8

0,03

Republic of Dagestan

322

0,03

Republic of Bashkortostan

1 082

0,05

Republic of Mordovia

250

0,05

Republic of Komi

282

0,06

Republic of North Ossetia – Alania

129

0,06

Republic of Tatarstan

1 210

0,06

Republic of Tuva

62

0,06

Altai Territory

766

0,06

Amur Region

266

0,06

Astrakhan Region

284

0,06

Kaliningrad Region

258

0,06

Kemerovo Region

703

0,06

Magadan Region

556

0,06

Ulyanovsk Region

426

0,06

Koryak Autonomous Area

8

0,06

Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area

313

0,06

Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area

122

0,06

CONCLUSIONS
The results of the Parliamentary Election for the third State Duma call for a number of definite conclusions:
  1. The CPRF’s electoral base has not shrunk at all. Actually, it became even larger, even if insignificantly. On the other hand, Communist electorate “in general” has obviously shrunk.
  2. The electoral base of traditional national-patriots (including the pro-empire oriented ones) has drastically shrunk.
  3. Zhirinovsky’s electorate continues speedily migrating (the steady level of the electors’ attendance – 64% in 1995 and 62% in 1999 – clearly testifies to the fact that it is not joining the absentists but is actually migrating).
  4. Electors en masse stopped voting for “outsiders” and began giving their votes to the acknowledge favorites of the race who are: a)“old” election associations; b)“power parties” (i.e., parties officially endorsed by the federal executive); c) election associations actively promoted in the mass-media. These three category can overlap much to the favorites’ advantage.
The conclusions above can be made on the foundation of the numbers only. As for the rest of it, we can only guess. It seems quite probable that the electorate of traditional pro-empire nationalists has moved to the “new world-power promoters” – primarily, to the Movement “Unity”/“Bear”. It may seem feasible that out of the 15 000 000 votes that the “Bear” received around 50%, arbitrarily speaking, used to belong to “Our House Russia” (in the edition of 1995 – that is, to “Our House Russia as the power party). Let us recall that in 1995, “Our House Russia” received 7 000 000 votes and in 1999 – only 800 000. The gab of 9 000 000 (15 000 000 – 6 000 000), then, actually amounts to those very votes lost by the national-patriots. Let us suggest that out of these 9 millions, 3.5 millions – are the votes of Zhirinovsky-95, and the remaining 5.5 millions can be recruited from the ranks of other pro-empire oriented national-patriots (at the Election 1995, only the KRO, “Derzhava” and “Power to the People” together received 5.8 millions of the electors’ votes). Our hypothesis cannot be either supported or refuted by the election’s results. Moreover, that hypothesis has only indirect bearing on the election’s results because elections’ results never answer “ideological” questions. It is unknown what the electors actually voted for when they chose the “Unity”/“Bear”. Did they vote for “the power party”? For the “world power idea”? For stability? For the young generation of politicians? And whom do the electors of the Communists vote for – for the “leftists” or for “moderate” nationalists? Elections do not answer such questions because in Russian Society it is not ideology but mythology that’s in demand.
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