United Communist Party supports trade unionist Natalia Lisitsyna campaign for Russian president

Vladimir Lakeev, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the OKP, commented on the adopted decision:

“We understand perfectly well that the issue of tactics in the presidential election campaign will be refined, as this campaign takes place in several stages, each of which requires clarification of approach. But the strategy for our party remains unchanged. It was worked out in October at the plenum of the Central Committee of our Party, where we agreed that the party does not consider it possible to support not only Putin and the liberals, but also candidates from the parliamentary parties that have become props of the party in power. In this electoral campaign, the communist forces should use the elections as a form of political struggle and develop a common platform for necessary changes and to conduct agitation for socialism on the basis of this platform.

“After the October plenum of the Central Committee, our proposals for the creation of such a platform were sent to all the communist and left-wing groups operating in the country, including the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (KPRF). However, we received an answer from only one political party — the ROT FRONT party. The answer was positive. ROT FRONT is ready to work on such a platform in conjunction with the OKP. The ROT-FRONT party appealed to the OKP with a proposal to support their nominated candidate for the presidency — Natalia Sergeevna Lisitsyna — machinist and crane operator at the Kirov plant, and a well-known trade union leader.

“Lisitsyna’s candidacy seems to us very attractive for agitation among workers’ groups. Proceeding from this, the Presidium of the Central Committee has decided to collect signatures in support of Lisitsyna and to create a platform of action for left forces with ROT FRONT. This decision expresses the position of a number of major regional organizations of the OKP. Now everything depends on ourselves, on how brightly, skillfully, and energetically we will agitate for the interests of the working people, supporting Lisitsyna’s candidacy.”