So-called Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) has held its pre-election conference in Moscow. Lib Dems nominated 315 parliamentary candidates and reelected charismatic Vladimir Zhrinovsky the party’s leader.

Firebrand Zhirinovsky targeted both Russian government and his rivals at 4 December poll. Many mistakes, which the country leaders made, stemmed from the fact they did not rely on “ingenious population” - the ethnic Russians - who were “pivot and engine” of the country, Zhirinovsky said. The national question in Russia was never more urgent, the Lib Dem leader said.

The party goes into the elections under proved nationalistic banners. “For the Russian!” the Lib Dem slogan says, although in the regions with the majority of non-Russian population the slogan is “For LDPR!” 

Instead of solving actual problems, the authorities entertain people with clowns, Zhirinovsky said, addressing tycoon Mikhail Prokhorov, who recently became the leader of Right Course and invited aging pop singer Alla Pugacheva to the party, and actor and ex-priest Ivan Okhlobystin, who announced his plans to run for the presidency. “Clown Okhlobystin, old lady Pugacheva and a billionaire - three saviors of Russia”.

For Zhirinovsky it had never been a question whether to support Vladimir Putin, he said. “We are against the team from St Petersburg. They are incapable of improving the standards of living for the majority of Russian citizens. That is why we are against members of this team, including Putin, Medvedev, Levitin, Fursenko, Serdyukov and 140 thousand officials”. LDPR’s main rivals would be United Russia and Communist Party, Zhirinovsky said.

Zhirinovsky is no.1 on the party’s ticket, consisting of 10 candidates. Next to him are Aleksey Ostrovsky, head of the parliamentary committee for Russia-CIS ties and affairs of Russians abroad, and Igor Lebedev, head of LDPR faction in the Duma. Zhirinovsky’s cousin Aleksandr Balberov will lead the Lib Dems in the Tula Region.    Vladimir Zhirinovsky has put the son of assassinated Col. Yury Budanov, Valery Budanov, on the party list, the Russian Mafia (rumafia.com) reports. Zhirinovsky said, he had to support the family of ex army man, who were left without means.