United Russia party congress
Vladimir Putin is taking part in political party
United Russia’s 15thcongress.
June 27,
2016
15:20
At the 15th Congress of the United
Russia party.
The congress will approve the party’s
election campaign programme and present party lists of candidates
for the upcoming State Duma election.
* * *
President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Colleagues,
friends,
I welcome the delegates and guests
at this United Russia congress.
This congress is an important stage
in the election campaign. Today, you will decide
on the campaign programme and the list of candidates
for the State Duma election. This really is a fundamental moment
because it lets the voters see who you propose for this election
and what they offer.
The voters want to see victory go
to respected and professional candidates who understand people’s
needs and want to take part in selfless and productive work
for the good of the country and its people.
The United Russia candidates you will put forward
must possess all of these qualities. I hope too that they will set
the example in honest and fair competition.
United Russia is doing much to make this election
campaign open and legitimate. In May, you held a preliminary
vote to select party candidates. This was the first time you held
such large-scale primaries: more than 10 million people took part.
This openness is a clear manifestation
of United Russia’s commitment to the principles of direct
democracy, and the party has obtained its first and very
important result for the upcoming campaign in the form
of strong new candidates for the State Duma.
The party bears full responsibility for all
whose names will appear on its party list. But the candidates must be
aware too that everything they say and do affects the party’s
reputation, and they must support and boost this reputation.
All party candidates in this election, especially
those standing in single-seat districts, must not forget that they
represent not just themselves, but the country’s biggest political party
and prominent political force, and must act always
and in everything in people’s interests. This is your job.
Colleagues, United Russia is holding its 15th congress
today. The party itself is marking the same age. This is not
a long time really, but at the same time, it is already quite
an age for a big, serious political force. Over these years,
the party has come our country’s biggest and most influential. This
trust was won at great effort, and you must do all you can
to keep it now.
I remember well the circumstances
surrounding United Russia’s creation. We all remember that this was
my initiative. Yes, I initiated this party’s creation. It was very
much needed at that point in our country’s life, primarily
for strengthening our statehood and consolidating society.
You all remember well the state our country was
in at that time. We faced a real threat of disintegration.
Politically and legally, the country was a real patchwork.
As for the North Caucasus, it was all but shut off behind
terrorist aggression against Russia.
There is no point in making a secret
of the fact that many people’s heads had become a muddle
by then, where good and evil, honesty and betrayal had become
a great confusion. A large part of the economy
and a number of important state institutions were controlled
by oligarchic or outright criminal organisations.
Our task was to change and rectify this
situation, strengthen the Constitution and essentially get
the state working again, strengthen its territorial integrity
and federal foundations and overcome the divisions in our
society. We could achieve these objectives only with the support
of a strong and consolidated political force, and it was
United Russia that gave the impetus for putting the country back
together back then.
At the same time, the party played
a big part in achieving public consensus on strategic
development issues, and this enabled us to carry out deep-reaching
economic and social transformations, including launching the priority
national projects and a large-scale demographic programme.
I mention too the importance of forming a clear
and reliable legal base. The United Russia parliamentary faction
and its deputies in the regional legislative assemblies have played
a decisive role in this work.
At the foundation
of United Russia’s politics and ideology are respect for our
multi-ethnic people’s traditions, culture and history and a deep
understanding of Russia’s national interests and the ability
to stand up for them in worthy and competent fashion.
Commitment to basic values such as patriotism, truth and justice
and national unity combines with a healthy conservatism
and an openness to change, which is always needed in life,
and today in particular.
The voters
gave United Russia their trust. This success has stood the test
of time and been confirmed by your accomplishments
in concrete work and your responsibility for fulfilling your
campaign promises. I am sure that we will find solutions to whatever
difficulties and tasks come our way, but only if we listen
to the people. Only then will be able to achieve our goals.
Friends,
I want to appeal to all political forces that will take part
in the election campaign and to all those who will be
candidates in the elections to the State Duma
and to regional legislative assemblies, and who run
for the post of regional governor or stand
for election to municipal office.
At the 15th Congress of the United
Russia party.
I ask
you to cherish people’s trust, make only promises you can actually keep,
and value the political and social stability we have achieved
over these last years. Only if we have national harmony and consensus can
we move forward after all. Only then can we achieve our plans and change
people’s lives for the better.
The most
dangerous thing today would be to speculate on the current
difficulties. I am not talking about criticism
of the authorities; criticism is necessary and essential,
and we will see criticism, of course. Election campaigns are
precisely the moment when criticism is particularly harsh and direct.
This is fine and is a normal thing. In the vast majority
of cases it has a positive part to play.
What
I am talking about is something else: lies and distortion
of the facts, direct betrayal of the country’s interests,
and empty promises that are worse than any betrayal, have no substance
to back them up and are born out of nothing more than
a desire to destabilise the situation, divide society
and claw a way to power at any price, and never mind
about what might follow. This is most dangerous and we cannot allow it. We
must do everything possible to avoid such a development
of events.
Friends,
society is becoming increasingly actively involved in the political
process and voters have become more demanding. I am sure that United
Russia is ready to meet this challenge. The party must discuss all
issues with the public, even the most difficult-looking problems.
They must understand what worries people most and listen
to everyone’s voice. This is the Duma deputies’ duty.
Life
is moving very fast and we need a deeper understanding
of the full complexity of the challenges before us today,
need to know how to respond to them, what measures to take.
This is what it means to be a leader. The task today is
to concentrate on key areas and breakthrough projects that will
ensure our country’s dynamic development and our citizens’ prosperity.
These
areas include social development, a favourable environment for life
in the cities and the countryside, and continuation
of the work we accomplished through the national projects, only
at a qualitatively new level. Of course, steady economy growth
in all different areas is another priority.
As you
know, we decided to establish a presidential council
for strategic development and priority projects, and it will
hold its first meeting soon. I am sure and I know that Dmitry
Medvedev, who will head this council’s presidium, will give us more detail
today on the concrete initiatives we plan to carry out.
The party’s
campaign programme matches in full the scale of the tasks
before Russia today. I therefore count on close cooperation with you.
We all need a strong, independent, open and prosperous Russia, where
all can realise their potential, develop their talents and opportunities,
where government and citizens support and respect each other,
and where public harmony and consensus and solidarity with
the country’s interests are higher than any differences. After all, what
is most important for us all are the people, the ordinary people
in the towns and villages, the people who are bearers
of our languages, traditions and culture.
These
are all hard-working people, people with efforts and successes behind
them, or who are working and striving now. But we all know that many,
many people here still live very difficult lives and they look to you
with hope and trust that you will not just preserve but develop
and multiply all that makes us unique, develop this civilisation we hold
so dear to our hearts, which is called Russia. Do not dash their hopes and do
not let them down. (Applause)
Thank you for your attention!
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