Putin to address Russia's crisis-hit ruling party
Russian leader Vladimir Putin is set Saturday to address a United Russia convention as the ruling party struggles to overcome a crisis amid the public's growing desire for change.
United Russia, which was established in 2001 and turns 18 next weekend, has been a legislative powerhouse, enjoying a constitutional majority in parliament's lower house since 2007. In recent years its popularity has floundered amid mounting economic troubles and unpopular government decisions and its current rating hovers just above a record low of 32 percent.
Taking the brunt of criticism for recent reforms like an increase to the state pension age, the party is in need of a rescue plan by the Kremlin, analysts say. United Russia has become so toxic that even ranking members chose to run as independents in local polls in September, earning a rebuke from party chairman Dmitry Medvedev.
Observers say the Kremlin underestimates the scale of the party's crisis and rule out any major reforms. Saturday's goal is to "raise the party's popularity and signal that Putin is still with it," said Konstantin Kalachev, head of the Political Expert Group think tank.
Putin distances himself from United Russia, and his spokesman Dmitry Peskov this week reiterated that although the president would address the convention, he is not its leader.
That role had been delegated to Putin's loyal lieutenant, Prime Minister Medvedev, whose popularity is also very low, and Putin's appearance on Saturday could somewhat boost the party's ratings.
The convention, which is to be held in a Soviet-era exhibition centre in Moscow, would review the results of this year's elections and address preparations for legislative polls in 2021.
