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Monday, 16.05.2011
Prokhorov is to be leader of "Right Cause"
Moscow. Billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov reportedly takes steps into politics. He is to completely transform the Liberal Party "Right Cause". Prokhorov, as a neoliberal, is already unpopular with the unions.
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"Right Cause" (or "Just Cause") is a political project by the Kremlin. The plan was an association of the fragmented liberal camp in Russia that should receive around 15 percent of votes. So far the Just Cause party had no success at the elections.
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Liberal politicians against forced association
Leading politicians of other liberal parties, such as Boris Nemtsov and Vladimir Ryzhov distanced themselves from the project to lure the liberals from the Kremlin. They bet on severe opposition to the current leadership in Russia.
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The new leadership of "Right Cause" has failed to develop any charisma in order to attract voters. Therefore "Right Cause" received very littel support at the elections, far below the five-percent margin, like their predecessors and competitors SPS and Yabloko.
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Prokhorov as party leader is not an April Fool's joke
Mikhail Prokhorov is the person, who is supposed to bring the right personality to the party leadership. First reports on his appointment appeared already in April, but Prokhorov himself denied the news at that point as "April fool".
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Meanwhile, the billionaire apparently has changed his mind, according to a report of the "Komsomolskaya Pravda". The tabloid paper cites a letter, written by the head of the Onexim group to leading managers of the Holding company: "I have had a lot of phone calls from colleagues, friends and relatives who did not understand my refusal. I did not find support by anyone for my view point, not even with my own sister, who does not like politics, explained Prokhorov his change of mind.
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Prokhorov is ready to change in politics
Therefore he decided to take part in politics and join the "Right Cause" party. I phoned a friend who is one of the leaders of the "Right Cause" party and told him: "Should the party and his colleagues still be interested in me, I am ready to join".
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According to the Komsomolskaya Pravda, Prochorov however wants freedom to handle the future development of party politics. The "Right Cause" party will be completely revamped, even it's name might be changed.
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Scandals, success and neo liberalism
Prochorov is one of the most widely mentioned business leaders in the media. Even as he had made headlines on his arrest over an alleged orgy in the French luxury spa Courchavel, over the last year, his name has appeared as founder of the Yo-Mobile, a small city car with a hybrid engine, which the Russians want to sell in 2012.
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Prokhorov is also known for his involvement in sport. He is president and sponsor of the Russian Biathlon Union and also owns the NBA clubs New Jersey Nets.
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His demand to rewrite the Russian labour law was critisized .In this way, the billionaire, would like to introduce a 60 hour working week - for those workers who want to do so, he points out.
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The unions see this as a return to the early days of capitalism. The unions are certainly not clients of the liberals.
The German text is here >>>
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