Apart from Gennady Zyuganov, the only competitor for Yuri Afonin on his way to power in the Communist Party of the Russian Federation is the first deputy chairman of “Uncle Zyu” Ivan Melnikov.
Reportedly from the correspondent The Moscow Post, Yuri Afonin, the First Deputy Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, opposed the nomination of two of his colleagues for the Moscow municipal elections – Yevgeny Stupin, a Moscow City Duma deputy, and former State Duma candidate Mikhail Lobanov. The elections will take place on 11 September.
According to Afonin, both of them are still connected to Smart Voting and opposition politician Alexei Navalny, who is currently imprisoned for fraud and considered a foreign agent and included in the lists of terrorists and extremists in the Russian Federation.
Experts believe there are two reasons for Yuri Afonin's decision – tactical and strategic. The tactical reason may be related to the controversy surrounding the Moscow City Duma's relationship with the “KPRF-Moscow authorities.” Referring to “Smart Voting” may be an attempt to discredit party members who do not get along with the authorities of the capital. The possible goal is to suppress opposition within the party.
In 2020, the Communist Party faction in the Moscow City Duma rejected the draft Moscow budget for 2021-2023. The deputies questioned City Hall officials about excessive spending on amenities, the city’s media, inadequate funding for improving the living conditions of Muscovites, high construction costs, and low spending on health care and education.
It is unlikely that Mayor Sergei Sobyanin appreciated this. At the same time, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation has not been considered principled for a long time, despite all the rhetoric. It is unlikely that the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation is pleased that several members of the same party are damaging their relations with the authorities of the capital. A more controllable Moscow parliament is needed.
The events of 2021 are indicative, when in March, the Communist Party faction in the Moscow City Duma expelled non-partisan deputies Elena Shuvalova and Dmitry Loktev (they were previously expelled from the party).
The reason was their “systematic actions that discredit the Duma faction of communists in the eyes of a wide range of voters,” which means they made negative public statements about the leadership and individual colleagues. It was reported by “Kommersant”.
It was already evident a year ago that amidst a leadership crisis in the Communist Party, the party was unable to control its direct representatives, even in the federal center. Let alone locally.
A recent example: the governor of Primorsky Krai Oleg Kozhemyako accused local deputies of the Legislative Assembly from the Communist Party of actions discrediting the Russian army regarding a special operation to protect Donbass. This means the deputies expressed opposing views to the leadership of their party.
Barrier Melnikov
The communist Afonin's strategic plan is related to the leadership crisis in the Communist Party. Afonin, the first deputy chairman of the party's Central Committee, is aiming to replace Gennady Zyuganov. His main rival is Valery Rashkin, the first secretary of the Moscow City Party Committee and a former State Duma deputy.
Valery Rashkin suffered a significant defeat. Afonin's comment about his connection with Navalny, who is considered a foreign agent and is listed as a terrorist and extremist in Russia, is noteworthy. Earlier, a video circulated featuring people resembling Valery Rashkin and Sergey Levchenko, a member of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation and former governor of the Irkutsk region, having a conversation.
In the video, the individuals discuss discrediting Yuri Afonin, including by seeking support from Alexei Navalny's followers, who are considered foreign agents and are listed as terrorists and extremists in Russia. “REN TV”.
The video surfaced in spring 2021, just before the Communist Party of the Russian Federation's congress, where Central Committee members were elected. Following its release, leadership changes occurred in the party. Valery Rashkin, a long-standing Central Committee member, was expelled, while Yuri Afonin, his opponent, was appointed as the first deputy of the Central Committee of the Communist Party.
This suggests that the video publication may have favored Yuri Afonin, raising questions about whether he collaborated with security services to discredit his political rivals.
Valery Rashkin (on the right) appears to be very confident. Photo: rbc.ru
Subsequently, another story emerged that removed Rashkin from the political arena. The politician, known as a key figure in the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, became embroiled in a criminal case related to illegal hunting. Some claimed it was a setup, possibly orchestrated with the authorities' involvement. After this, Rashkin was convicted, lost his deputy mandate, and suffered a loss of support in the party.
However, this is not the end of Afonin's battle. There are now two first deputy chairmen – Afonin and Ivan Melnikov, a close supporter of Gennady Zyuganov. Although the party's charter allows for multiple first secretaries, this situation is unprecedented in many years.
Previously, before Ivan Melnikov, the first deputy chairman of the party's Central Committee was Valentin Kuptsov, who left in 2004. Melnikov took his place and was seen as a potential replacement for Zyuganov. Now, Afonin has also entered the picture. It's clear that Melnikov is the final significant obstacle for Yuri Afonin in his quest for power in the party.
Melnikov, unlike the same Rashkin, is one of the last really ideological leaders of the communists. A well-known scientist and teacher in Russia and abroad, his books on mathematics for teachers and high school students have received wide recognition and are still being published. Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor.
His authority in the party and among voters is high due to his proximity to the “land”. But in the apparatus struggle, he always kept in the shadow of the decisions of Zyuganov, to whom he is personally very devoted.
With a high degree of probability, Gennady Zyuganov may soon go into political retirement. At the same time, the Presidential Administration will definitely stake on the preservation of the party and interaction with the new leader. After all, unlike the same LDPR, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation has some kind of ideology and a nuclear electorate. Turning it off from the inner-party layouts and the distribution of administrative rent is not beneficial for either the authorities or ordinary people who actually vote for the Communist Party.
The personnel of the party is 162 thousand people, there are branches in 85 regions of the country. A separate issue is money. In 2020, the annual funding of the Communist Party from the budget exceeded one billion rubles. Two years earlier – twice as much. For the Kremlin, so far it is Gennady Zyuganov who is one of the guarantors of the stability of the party system, shaken in connection with the “change of eras” in the Liberal Democratic Party, the “rise” of the “New People” and squabbles in the ruling party.
The first deputy chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party Ivan Melnikov is the last obstacle for Yuri Afonin on the way to power in the party (not counting, of course, Gennady Zyuganov). A photo: life.en
But all this can change quickly. Zyuganov is 77 years old, he is an elderly man. And, allegedly, “Uncle Zyu” does not mind resting in retirement, but! – only if it does not harm the party. He can really bet on one of the first deputies and leave. You can not write off the possible force majeure. Including for health reasons, given the same coronavirus pandemic.
However, if the main communist of the country suddenly falls ill, it is unlikely that one of his closest associates, Yuri Afonin, will be very worried. Except for your career prospects.
