Union of Unity and Fatherland transformed into All-Russian party "Unity and Fatherland"

The All-Russian public organization Union of "Unity" and "Fatherland" was transformed into the All-Russian party "Unity and Fatherland" (shortcut - "Unified Russia"). The decision was made on Saturday, December 1, by the delegates of the constituent congress organized in the State Kremlin Palace.

Sergei Shoigu, Yury Luzhkov and Mintimer Shaimiev were elected co-chairmen of the party.

The congress unanimously adopted the statute of the party. In particular the purposes and tasks of the party include "election of the party's candidate to the post of President of Russia, obtaining the majority of seats in the bodies of legislative power of the RF, federation subjects, in representative bodies of local self-government". The delegates of the congress also unanimously assumed the Program of the party as a basis, in particular it says that "Uniform Russia" unites the citizens of our country whose highest values are freedom, law, justice and solidarity.

The emblem of the "Uniform Russia" pictures a bear against the Russian flag and map.

Addressing the congress, the leader of the movement "All Russia", President of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaimiev marked, that this is not merely a unification of leaders of the three movements, but creation of a party with new opportunities and reformatory potential. Shaimiev emphasized that the new party is not a one-day party, but it is headed for serious work and a real competition with other political parties. In his opinion, today we cannot do without multiparty system. Multiparty system, Shaimiev said, is a norm of any developing democratic state.

Mintimer Shaimiev expressed his opinion that the new party should rely on regional structures. According to him, the state structure should be of a democratic character, it is necessary to develop market economy, to create favorable conditions for development of small business and investments, to guarantee social support for the needy, to pursue different demographic policy, to improve environment, education, public health services, to increase wages and to improve working conditions, to guarantee the freedom of speech.

The President of Tatarstan emphasized that Russia should advance from a raw-exporting country to the position of a country with high living standards as all developed countries.

"No doubt that working efficiently we shall become a solid party for the benefit of our multinational state", concluded M.Shaimiev.