Tiraspol, 16 April. /Novosti Pridnestrovya/. Today the capital's House of Culture hosted a constituent congress of the people's deputies' union «For Unity with Russia». As Novosti Pridnestrovya has already reported, the idea of establishing such a union was prompted by Russia's State Duma MPs during the visit of Pridnestrovian parliamentarians Oleg Khorzhan, Tatyana Turanskaya and Andrey Sipchenko to Moscow in March. On 15 March 2016 they together with a few local councillors held a meeting of an initiative group and signed a founding declaration of the union «For Unity with Russia». In a month it has been signed by over 1,000 current and former Supreme Council deputies and local councillors.
The congress gathered 458 delegates, representing all cities and districts of the republic. President Yevgeny Shevchuk and the Chairman of the Government Pavel Prokudin participated as invited guests. The Supreme Council's leadership had been also invited, but the parliament was not officially represented. Russia was represented by the first deputy chair of the State Duma committee on CIS affairs, Eurasian integration and compatriots, Kazbek Taysayev, who ahead of the 9 May holiday presented an exact copy of the Victory Banner to the union.
The first vice speaker of the State Duma, Ivan Melnikov, and the leader of the CPRF, Gennady Zyuganov, sent their greetings to the congress. Sergey Gavrilov, chairman of the State Duma committee on property and head of the interfaction group for liaison with Pridnestrovie's Supreme Council, will supervise contacts between the State Duma and Pridnestrovie’s new deputies' union.
The congress elected a coordination board of 15 members, who will make decisions between congress meetings, and three co-chairs: the leader of Pridnestrovian Communists, MP Oleg Khorzhan, Rybnitsa's municipal councillor Viktor Tikholaz and Sukleya's village councillor Vtaly Timofeyev. The Supreme Council people's deputy, Tatyana Turanskaya, was elected executive secretary.
Among the goals proclaimed in the union's policy documents are the realisation of Pridnestrovie's 2006 referendum, where 97.1% of the Pridnestrovians who took part in polling voted for the country's independence with its subsequent accession to the Russian Federation; the maintenance of the current peacekeeping format and the Operational Group of Russian Forces in Pridnestrovie; the development of economic ties both between Pridnestrovie and Russia in general and between individual Russian and Pridnestrovian cities and regions; the continuation of the harmonisation of the local legislation with the Russian one; the opposition to attempts to change Pridnestrovie's foreign policy vector. It was emphasised, at the same time, that this is a non-partisan union open for all political forces.
The congress adopted an appeal to the leadership and State Duma of the Russian Federation, which in particular requests «to support the Pridnestrocian leaders' efforts in increasing bilateral economic cooperation and assist in organising the phased integration of Pridnestrovie into the Eurasian Economic Union».
The appeal also says that after the referendum, which took place on 17 September 2006, the State Duma passed a statement on 6 October of the same year. «The statement especially highlighted the State Duma's position to support the improvement of Pridnestrovie's economic situation and our country's foreign economic activities. It also said that Russia must arrange its policy with regard for the self-determination of Pridnestrovians. Under current conditions congress delegates are urging Russia's leadership and parliament to support the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic's aspirations to realise the results of the 2006 referendum. We are united with Russia!» the congress's appeal underscores.
