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Liberal Democratic Party of Russia Либерально-Демократическая Партия России
Leader	Vladimir Zhirinovsky
Founded	1989
Headquarters	Moscow
Ideology	Russian (ultra)nationalism[1], Right-wing populism
Political position	Far-right[1]
International affiliation	None
European affiliation	None
Official colours	Blue, Gold
Website
http://www.ldpr.ru/
Politics of Russia Political parties Elections

The Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (Russian: Либерально-Демократическая Партия России (ЛДПР), Liberal'no-Demokraticheskaya Partiya Rossii) (or LDPR) is a political party in Russia. It has been led by Vladimir Zhirinovsky almost since its founding, in 1989, as the Liberal Democratic Party of the Soviet Union. The LDPR describes itself as a centrist, pro-reform democratic party. The programme of the party calls for democracy and social liberalism. Despite the name, a widespread opinion outside of Russia is that the party's ideology is not liberal^{[2][3][4][5][6]} and it is often regarded, especially in external media, as an ultranationalist party ^[7]. The LDPR states that its main political opponents are Yabloko and the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF). It describes itself as an opposition party; however, its deputies hardly ever voted against the Putin government. It received a plurality of the vote in the 1993 Russian Duma elections. It is anti-NATO and against the United States.

History of creation

The former CPSU Politburo member Alexander Nikolaevich Yakovlev claims that the party was a joint project of CPSU leadership and the KGB. Yakovlev wrote in his memories that KGB director Vladimir Kryuchkov presented the project of the puppet LDPR party at a meeting with Mikhail Gorbachev and informed him about a selection of LDPR leaders. According to Yakovlev, the name of the party was invented by KGB General Philipp Bobkov. However Bobkov said that he was against the creation of this "Zubatov-like pseudo-party under KGB control that directs interests and sentiments of certain social groups". ^[8]

Platform

The LDPR's main proposals include: ^[9][10]:

• Reform and consolidation of Russia's judicial system;
• Capital punishment for those convicted of terrorism, premeditated murder, and other serious crimes;
• The abolition of "non-traditional" and "fanatic" religious sects in Russia;
• State ownership of strategic sectors of the economy, particularly natural resources, alcohol, tobacco, and agriculture;
• Lower taxes for domestic producers;
• Unification between Russia and Belarus;
• The right to work;
• Radical reform of the social insurance system;
• State support for science-intensive technologies and agriculture;
• The abolition of government corruption;
• Russian economic sovereignty/protectionism
• Control of all agricultural land by the state.

Electoral results

• 1991 presidential elections - 8%
• 1993 Duma elections - 23%
• 1995 Duma elections - 11%
• 1996 presidential elections - 6%
• 1999 Duma elections - 5.98% (it contested them as the 'Zhirinovsky Bloc')
• 2000 presidential elections - 2.7%
• 2003 Duma elections - 12%
• 2004 presidential election (Zhirinovsky decided not to run, his first deputy Oleg Malyshkin ran instead) - 2%
• 2007 Duma elections - 8.8%
• 2008 presidential election - 9.35% ^[11]

See also

• List of Liberal Democratic Party of Russia deputies in the State Duma

• Liberal Democratic Party of Belarus
• Liberal Democratic Party of Pridnestrovie
• Miflaga Mitkademet Liberalit Demokratit

References

External links

• Political Program LDPR
• Zhirinovsky's 2007 political manifesto (English) (Russian)
• Official Website (Russian)
• Non-official Website (Russian)

Registered political parties in  Russia Represented in State Duma United Russia (315) · Communist Party of the Russian Federation (57) · Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (40) · A Just Russia (38) Non-parliamentary parties Patriots of Russia · Right Cause · Yabloko Portal:Politics · List of political parties · Politics of Russia