17 Dec 2019 11:18

Eight parties liquidated in Russia in 2019 due to non-participation in election campaigns

MOSCOW. Dec 17 (Interfax) - The Russian Supreme Court liquidated eight parties that took no part in election campaigns over seven years of their existence at the Justice Ministry's request in 2019; similar court orders regarding three parties have yet to take effect, the Justice Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

"Eight political parties have been liquidated on the basis of rulings of the Russian Supreme Court," the statement, which was made in response to Interfax's enquiry, said.

The liquidated parties are the People's Party for Women of Russia, the Green Alliance, the Union of Townsmen, the People's Party of Russia, the Social Democratic Party of Russia, the Russian Party of Pensioners, Cities of Russia, and the Agrarian Party of Russia, the statement said.

The Russian Supreme Court's orders regarding liquidation of three further political parties - the all-Russia political party People's Alliance, the Monarchist Party, and the all-Russia political party Honest/Man. Justice. Responsibility - have yet to take effect, it said.

Checks will be made regarding four political parties in 2020 consistent with the plan for scheduled inspections of legal entities and individual entrepreneurs, the statement said.

As of this moment, there are 54 registered political parties in Russia, and 51 of them are entitled to take part in election campaigns. There is information in the Justice Ministry's register about 39 party organizing committees set up over the past year.

The Justice Ministry told Interfax in a statement early this year that in June 2019 it would start checking the participation in election campaigns of over 30 political parties that were registered seven years ago. Consistent with the federal law on political parties, the parties may be liquidated by the Russian Supreme Court if they take no part in elections over the designated period.