Russia's ruling party must embrace change

United Russia has been criticised by some analysts for holding a dominant position akin to that of the Communist Party in the Soviet Union.

President Dmitry Medvedev on Saturday made a rare call for the dominant United Russia party to reform, scolding it and other parties over violations in elections.

United Russia, which holds a majority of 315 out of 450 seats in the lower house of parliament, has been criticised by some analysts for holding a dominant position akin to that of the Communist Party in the Soviet Union.

"United Russia can implement change only if it changes itself," Medvedev said in a speech to the party's annual congress in Saint Petersburg. "The party must be modern so that it does not become old."

"The party needs to modernize and make itself more flexible. It needs to start winning in an open fight," he said.

Medvedev's plea came after unprecedented controversy erupted last month when the opposition parties in parliament walked out of the chamber to protest that alleged vote-rigging had helped United Russia to win local elections.

United Russia can implement change only if it changes itself.

Dmitry Medvedev

In an apparent reference to the controversy, Medvedev accused regional branches of political parties, including United Russia, of showing "backwardness" by letting "office intrigues" interfere with elections.

He said that as a result there were examples in elections of "confusing democratic procedures with administrative ones."

"Democracy exists, at the end of the day not for the party, be it ruling or opposition, but for the citizen," Medvedev added.

Pro-Kremlin political analyst Gleb Pavlovsky, head of the Foundation for Effective Policy, told reporters at the congress that Medvedev's comments signalled he wanted United Russia to embrace a new ideology.

However this could create a conflict between the party's more conservative elements and the president, he warned.

"The party is not ready to do this unless it carries out reform. So a conflict could appear between those who are ready to modernize and those who are not," he said.

Medvedev's predecessor as president, current Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, is the leader of United Russia although curiously both men have declined to become card-carrying members of the party.

Putin has long been seen as a strong proponent of a so-called "power vertical" in Russia where most of the influence in politics rests with the top elite rather than political parties.