"Committee 2008: A Free Choice" (Russian: Комитет 2008: Свободный выбор; Komitet 2008: Svobodnyy vybor) was an umbrella organization of the Russian democratic opposition, launched on 29 January 2004 and broke up in the spring of 2005.

Committee 2008: A Free Choice
Комитет 2008: Свободный выбор
LeaderGarry Kasparov
Founded17 January 2004 (2004-01-17)
DissolvedJune 2005 (2005-06)
Succeeded byUnited Civil Front
The Other Russia
HeadquartersMoscow
IdeologyLiberalism
Liberal democracy
Political positionBig tent
Member partiesYabloko
Union of Right Forces
Our Choice
Republican Party of Russia
Colours  Grey
  Blue
  Red
Slogan"We need Another Russia!"
(Russian: "Нам нужна другая Россия!")
"Russia without Putin!"
(Russian: "Россия без Путина!")
Website
www.theotherrussia.ru

History

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It was formed in response to the failure of Yabloko and the Union of Right Forces to gain any seats in the 2003 elections to the State Duma, and to the growing authoritarianism of President Vladimir Putin who was re-elected in March 2004 with over 70% of the votes cast.[1]

The Committee's goal was to ensure free and fair presidential elections in 2008. Putin was due to step down as President, after serving two terms, and the Committee intended to work against the election of the Kremlin's chosen successor, whoever that might be. The chairman of the 2008 Committee was Garry Kasparov; the original signatories of the 2004 declaration were Mikhail Berger, Vladimir Bukovsky, Alexander Golts, Igor Irtenyev, Vladimir Kara-Murza Jr., Yevgeny Kiselyov, Yulia Latynina, Dmitry Muratov, Boris Nemtsov, Sergey Parkhomenko, Alexander Ryklin, Victor Shenderovich and Irina Yasina.[2] Others who joined later were politicians Vladimir Ryzhkov and Irina Khakamada.

The Committee was short-lived, holding its last meeting in summer 2005. A number of its members subsequently helped to set up the United Civil Front and the much broader Other Russia coalition (2006-2010) which were actively engaged in protest activities in 2007 and 2008.

References

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