Opposition accuses "Edinaya Rossiya" of using administrative resource in Astrakhan

The "Edinaya Rossiya" (United Russia) Party held regular action in Astrakhan within the pre-election campaign. Participants admitted that they were forced to come to the event. Opposition representatives claimed that the ruling party again used the so-called "administrative resource", the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

The event "New Yards" on the improvement of the city was held on October 13 in the morning in the yard of the building No. 60 in Kommunisticheskaya Street in Astrakhan. The participants of the event in the T-shirts with symbols of the "Edinaya Rossiya" Party painted curbs and built flowerbeds.

According to Irina Kolpikova, Chief of Supervision Department of the Astrakhan administration, the action was carried out at the expense of the "Edinaya Rossiya" Party.

"We organize such events considerably often. For example, in September we conducted three events, in October - one event. We improve their yards. The residents then support them in order," Irina Kolpikova told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

According to the representatives of the Astrakhan administration, the workers involved in the improvement of the city are volunteers.

"They work half a day here and then return to their working places. At present, in our district 178 volunteers are involved in the event. They are students, young people, factory workers, members of public organizations," Elena Shirkina, the head of the department on work with the population of the administration of Lenin District of Astrakhan, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Meanwhile, the participants of the event deny statements of the administration representatives that they participate in this event voluntarily.

"How can we be the volunteers?" an elderly man, who preferred to remain anonymous, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent, and continued: "We are workers from the trolleybus depot. We are sent here by order of our management. And we are working. And we have nothing common with the "Edinaya Rossiya" Party."

"They do it just to make appearance," Lydia Kleimenova, a local resident, is confident. "Here we've got a dangerous tree. You see, it leans forward. We fear that it can fall down and crush someone. They would better cut this tree down. And they had just dug soil around it," the woman says.

According to Oleg Shein, the deputy of the State Duma of the Astrakhan Region, the "Edinaya Rossiya" Party makes extensive use of administrative resource within the pre-election campaigns.

"They purchase equipment at the expense of the budget and present it through the media as a gift made by the "Edinaya Rossiya" Party to the city. People are driven by order to the events of the "Edinaya Rossiya" during their working time and it is said that these people are volunteers. And such examples are numerous," Oleg Shein told in a telephone conversation the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Let us add that the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent failed to get official comment from representatives of the regional branch of the "Edinaya Rossiya" Party on their use of administrative resource within the pre-election campaign.