United Russia should learn from regional elections, reclaim lost positions - Medvedev
MOSCOW. Oct 3 (Interfax) - The Russian prime minister and leader of the ruling United Russia party, Dmitry Medvedev, has set his party the goal of regaining the positions it lost during recent regional elections.
"Naturally, we also need to look into the situations that involved difficulties and misfortunes that befell our candidates, the candidates backed by United Russia. I'll tell you straight: this is normal, this is democratic, but there is a certain lesson for the party. It should learn it properly and in future try to regain its positions," Medvedev told the United Russia commission overseeing the implementation of the election program.
"Overall, the end result suggests that United Russia's past campaign was quite successful," Medvedev said.
"Our party is represented not only in cities, but also on the local level, which is closest to the people. We retained a majority in the deputy corps, and did so despite big difficulties, amidst an unprecedentedly tough struggle, which was due to the current agenda and several other causes," he said.
"[The elections] showed that United Russia has a substantial resource of resilience and at the same time serious potential for new growth, not least thanks to a new generation of politicians and a renewal of the party's regional branches," Medvedev said.
"We will take these election results into account. We'll do so at a congress to be held in early December. The first of December is our party's birthday," Medvedev said, adding that its attendees would be expected to report on progress made in the implementation of the party's program.