The Communist Party of the Russian Federation today

                CPRF Fact Sheet

·                                             The CPRF has about 160,000 members

·                                             80 regional party branches

·                                             About 14,000 primary party organizations

·                                             Since 1993 the CPRF has been represented at the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation. The CPRF is the second largest party in the current, Fifth State Duma. It holds 57 seats out of 450.

·                                             In the State Duma elections on December 2, 2007 the CPRF won 8,946,886 votes.

·                                             In the elections of the President of the Russian Federation on March 2, 2008, the CPRF Candidate, Gennady Zuganov, won 13,243,550 votes. 

·                                             The CPRF is represented in the legislative bodies of 79 subjects of the Russian Federation.

Background

The Russian Social-Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) was formed at the Congress in Minsk in 1898.

                The Communist Party of the RSFSR within the CPSU was established in June 1990.

                In September 1991 the activities of the CPSU and the CP RSFSR were banned as a result of a counterrevolutionary coup.

                On February 13, 1993 the Second Extraordinary Congress of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation announced the resumption of the party’s activities after a ban that lasted almost a year and a half. The Congress adopted its Policy Statement and the Party Charter. In March of that year the CPRF was officially registered with the Justice Ministry of the Russian Federation.

                The Programme of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation was adopted by the Third CPRF Congress on January 22, 1995.

                From the CPRF Charter

                The political party “the Communist Party of the Russian Federation” was created on a voluntary basis by the citizens of the Russian Federation who have united on the basis of common interests to implement the goals of its Programme and Charter.

                The Communist Party of the Russian Federation is a successor to the cause of the CPSU and the CP RSFSR, being their ideological heir.

                The CPRF, based on creative development of Marxism-Leninism, has as its main goal the building of socialism, a society of social justice espousing the principles of collectivism, freedom, and equality, it comes out for genuine rule of the people in the form of the Soviets, for the strengthening of the multinational federated state.

                The CPRF is a party of patriots, internationalists, a party of friendship of the peoples.

                The CPRF, in upholding its ideals, protects the interests of the working class, the peasantry, the intelligentsia and all the working people.

                The CPRF is part of the world communist movement, cooperating and developing ties with foreign communist and workers’ parties, progressive organizations and movements.

                The CPRF pursues its activities in accordance with the goals of its Programme and Charter throughout the territory of the Russian Federation.

                Any legally capable citizen of the Russian Federation above the age of 18, recognizing and complying with the CPRF Programme and Charter, registered with and participating in the work of a primary party cell and regularly paying membership dues can be a member of the CPRF.

                The supreme governing body of the Party is the CPRF Congress. The permanent governing body of the Party is the Central Committee of the CPRF. The central bodies of the party are: the Central Committee of the CPRF, the Presidium of the CC CPRF and the Secretariat of the CC CPRF. The central auditing bodies of the party are the Central Control and Auditing Commission of the CPRF and the Presidium of the CCAC CPRF.

                The CPRF flag is a red piece of drapery. The CPRF anthem is the “Internationale”.

                The CPRF emblem is the sickle, hammer and the open book symbolizing the solidarity of workers, peasants and the intelligentsia. At the base of the emblem is the acronym CPRF. On the outer rim of the emblem are the words: “RUSSIA”, “LABOUR”, “RULE OF THE PEOPLE”, “SOCIALISM”.

                A new edition of the CPRF Programme is up for adoption at the 13^th Congress of the CPRF

                The current Party Programme was adopted in 1995. On the whole it has withstood the test of time and its main provisions remain valid.

                The text of the new edition of the programme is the result of several years of work. The need to draft it was proclaimed by the 10^th party congress in 2004. On February 8, 2006 the Presidium of the CC CPRF and the Programme Commission launched an appeal “To our Party and its supporters” calling for a more active discussion of the new edition of the programme.

                The new edition of the CPRF Programme seeks to update the assessment of the current situation in Russia and the world and the tasks of the party.

The Party’s media outlets

·                                             The official printed organ of the Party is the newspaper Pravda, founded on May 5, 1912. It has 3 issues a week.

·                                             80 regional Party branches have their own newspapers.

·                                             The CPRF has founded the social and political journal Politicheskoye Prosveshcheniye (Political Enlightenment).

·                                             The Party’s official website is: www.kprf.ru

·                                             There are 40 sites of regional CPRF branches.

The mailing address of the CPRF Central Committee is: 3 (bldg.1), Maly Sukharevsky Pereulok, Moscow, 127051.

Tel. 7 495 692 76 46