United Russia issues program address to nation in run up to Dec 4 elections to Duma
MOSCOW. Oct 14 (Interfax) - The United Russia party issued a program address to the nation on Friday evening in light of the upcoming elections to the State Duma slated for December 4, 2011.
"We all equally understand what our country should not be like. It should not be weak, poor, breaking apart, it should not suffer from technological backwardness, bureaucratic lawlessness, corruption, and terrorism, and it should not be isolated," says the address posted on the party's website.
The party says it cannot tolerate "the economy's dependence on the trends on the markets of raw materials, a dangerous level of social inequality, the fact that people feel injustice when addressing government institutions, courts, or law enforcement agencies, and obstacles to business initiative, at government service, and in public activities" and promises to overcome these problems.
"We should build an innovative economy and strengthen democratic institutions and a modern rule-of-law state. Not only incomes of Russian families but also the quality of their life and wellbeing should grow, and this is the main goal of all our work. People are in the focus of our attention," the address says.
Among priorities of its strategy, the party mentions modernization of the economy and the education system, technological transformation of the economy, the improvement of the investment climate, the creation of an infrastructure for innovation, the improvement of labor efficiency and safety with the aim of increasing the people's incomes and the budgets of all levels.
The party is also determined to deliver on its social commitments and work to increase salaries, pensions and allowances, fight poverty, and modernize the healthcare sector.
Other priorities include "eradication of corruption, open information on government officials' incomes, government procurements, and decisions made by ministries and other government agencies, and public examination of all of the authorities' initiatives immediately affecting the people's property rights and civilian freedoms."
United Russia promises to do all it can to strengthen the judicial system "based on principles of independence, transparency, and justice," make criminal law more humane when in comes to economic offences, and toughen criminal punishment for violent crimes.
The party will also seek to strengthen Russia's domestic and external security and set up efficient police and mighty armed forces.
The address mentions a number of concrete goals the party plans to attain in years to come. In particular, it says it should turn Russia into one of the five largest world economies in the next five years and ensure the country's virtual independence from basic types of food, radically renew or create at least 25 million modern jobs in the industrial and public sector within the next 20 years, and make sure that average life expectancy in Russia should be higher than 70 years by 2013 and that an average salary should grow by 50% by the end of 2014.
The party guarantees that it will not scrap the flat 13% individual income tax, but at the same time declares that "the tax burden on the rich should be heavier than on the middle class" primarily through "taxes on consumption, real estate, and property."
United Russia has already proven that it is "capable of acting as the national political leader and not only guide people but also rise above interests of narrow groups," the address says.
"United Russia sees itself an all-people and all-Russian party in the full sense of these words" and vows that it will run in the elections in order to "ensure national consolidation for solving the most fundamental problems of the country's development."