Overview: The DVR-OD bloc groups the DVR party (the "Gaidar party"), the Peasant Party of Russia (the "Chernichenko party"), the Social Democratic Party ("the party of Aleksandr Yakovlev"), and the Congress of National Associations of Russia (KNOR). Of the four organizations Yegor Gaidar's party is the largest although it has been weakened in the last year and a half by political mistakes and an unsophisticated stand on the war in Chechnya (the President's opponents defected to Yavlinsky, the critics of the Gaidar-Kovalyov position on Chechnya to Boris Fyodorov and those who regard a communist comeback as the main danger have defected or are in the process of defecting to Chernomyrdin). At the height of the hostilities in Chechnya, the DVR almost became an opposition party, but after the July truce the differences between the DVR and the Premier melted away although the relations with the President remain cool.
The Peasant Party is headed by Moscow journalist and Federation Council deputy Yury Chernichenko.
The Social Democratic Party headed by Yakovlev is, in effect, a party of liberal-minded members of the President's staff. DVR includes many professional law-makers.
Leaders: Yegor Gaidar, 39, leader of the party, former acting Prime Minister of the Russian Federation; Sergei Kovalyov, 65, State Duma deputy, human rights campaigner, dissident and former political prisoner; actress Lidiya Fedoseyeva-Shukshina, 57.
Leading Candidates: Aleksandr Yakovlev, 72, former member of the Politburo of the CC CPSU, 'the father of perestroika'; Chairman of "The Military for Democracy" movement Vladimir Smirnov; actor Oleg Basilashvili; 33 deputies of the outgoing State Duma (including Boris Zolotukhin, Arkady Murashov, Sergei Yushenkov, Mikhail Mitiukov, Aleksandr Minzhurenko, Ilya Zaslavsky, Anatoly Shabad) and two Federation Council deputies (Yury Chernichenko and Aleksandr Aslanidi).
In the previous parliament the DVR-OD bloc was represented by Russia's Choice faction - 48 deputies as of December 11, 1995.
Overview: Consisting of a "non-party political association" of Irina Khakamada calling itself by the same name and the "Human Ring" Union, an organization of those who defended the Russian White House in August 1991. This bloc seeks to amend the electoral law, to have the "artificial party list system" abandoned and to make deputies directly responsible to their constituencies.
Political Orientation: Has greater loyalty to Viktor Chernomyrdin's government than any other liberal-democratic group.
The top three Candidates: Irina Khakamada, 39; actor and director Rolan Bykov, 66; cosmonaut Vladimir Dzhanibekov, 53, chief of the Cosmonaut Training Center Directorate, the most experienced Soviet cosmonaut (5 space missions).
Leading Candidates in the Federal party list: Leader of "Human Ring" Konstantin Truevtsev; Mosfilm Studios President Vladimir Dostal'; Khakamada's husband Dmitry Sukhinenko; leader of the Liberal Youth Alliance Stepan Orlov; author Yury Rytkheu.
In the previous parliament only Irina Khakamada represented the bloc (as a non-factional deputy), she is also the only State Duma deputy on the bloc's list.
Contact Address: Central Council.: 26 Miasnitskaya str., Moscow 101000.
Bloc Leader
KHAKAMADA Irina Mutsuovna, 292-68-38
Co-Chairman
ORLOV Stepan Vladimirovich, 923-65-78
Headquarters: 5 Sretensky b-r, Moscow 103045
Exec. Dep. Chairman.
KOPTEV-DVORNIKOV Vladimir Evgenievich, 923-63-83, 391-31-65
Overview: An electoral association of the party of that name (formerly - Russian Christian-Democratic Union). The Chairman, Vitaly Savitsky, member of the Russia's Choice Duma faction, killed in car crash on December 10 1995. A very small party which unites representatives of various Christian and Christian-leaning organizations. After the resignation of Gleb Yakunin and Valery Borshchev in May 1995, the CDU-CR has taken a pro-president stand, while at the same time seeking to win over the top figures in the official Church.
Top Three Candidates in the Federal Party list: V. Savitsky, 40; President of the Women's Alliance association, radio journalist Tatiyana Ivanova, naval captain second rank Aleksandr Kiselyov (First Secretary of the CDU-CR).
The Moscow section of the list includes the chief editor of the Baptist journal "Khristianin" Viktor Rott.
Contact Address: 8 Izmailovsky pr., Saint Petersburg 198005
Overview: An organization of democratic movement veterans.
Top Three Candidates in the Federal Party List: Oleg Novikov, 54, former head of the Anti-Monopoly Committee in Moscow; retired KGB Major General Oleg Kalugin, 61, and poet Rimma Kazakova.
Political Orientation: A democratic organization which goes all the way with President Yeltsin on all the main issues. Its electoral charter begins with the words "for a united and indivisible Russia" and "against any separatism." It stresses its anti-communism as a feature that distinguishes it from other democrats. The leader of the Movement is Oleg Novikov; the deputy Chairman for ideology was until recently the journalist Andrei Nuikin, who ran as an independent candidate in a single-mandate constituency.
Leading Candidates in the Federal Party List: Dissident Sergei Grigoryants, 54, Chairman of the non-governmental foundation Glasnost and a fighter against the KGB; co-Chairman of the Confederation of Repressed Peoples, Salim Akhilgov; assistant head of the President's staff Aleksei Surkov; member of the President's staff Oleg Borodin; satirical poet Aleksandr Ivanov; poet Yury Levitansky; Chairman of the Tatar People's Party and chemical scientist Vil Mirzayanov; literary critic Valentin Oskotsky; and composer Vladimir Dashkevich. Initially the list also contained the famous witch doctor Yury Gorny (Yashkov) who later became an independent candidate.