The Gennady Zyuganov presidential campaign, 2000 was the presidential campaign of
Gennady Zyuganov
Gennady Andreyevich Zyuganov (russian: Генна́дий Андре́евич Зюга́нов; born 26 June 1944) is a Russian politician, who has been the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation and served as ...
in the
2000 election. This was the second presidential campaign of Zyuganov, who had
previously run in the
1996 election (in which he had been a strong contender and had ultimately placed second).
Background and early developments
After losing the 1996 presidential election (which he had originally been the strong frontrunner for)
to
Boris Yeltsin
Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin ( rus, Борис Николаевич Ельцин, p=bɐˈrʲis nʲɪkɐˈla(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ ˈjelʲtsɨn, a=Ru-Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin.ogg; 1 February 1931 – 23 April 2007) was a Soviet and Russian politician wh ...
, Zyuganov declared that the 1996 election nevertheless had demonstrated that a
two-party political system was emerging in Russia and that the political might of the Communist-led campaign alliance could no longer be ignored by the Yeltsin administration.
By 1999, Zyuganov had emerged as the evident frontrunner
in every poll for the first round of the pending 2000 presidential election.
However, polls also indicated that he would be unable to win an outright majority in the first round (which would be necessary for him to avoid a runoff), and that he was almost certain to lose against any prospective non-Communist opponent in a runoff.
At this same time, Zyuganov and Yavlinsky were seen as the only two prospective candidates that were supported by a strong constituency and a national party.
However, by the autumn of 1999 then-Prime Minister
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime min ...
had overtaken Zyuganov as leading candidate in the polls.
Campaigning
Zyuganov (averaging 22% in polls) ultimately proved to be the only strong challenger to Putin.
Zyuguanov's Communist Party conducted an orthodox campaign, relying heavily on grassroots door-to-door campaigning and a network of supportive Communist-aligned newspapers to spread its message.
Zyuganov made little use of television advertising. The limited televised advertisements his campaign did run generally focused on his platform.
[
Zyuganov ultimately outperformed polls, which had largely predicted that he would receive roughly 20% of the vote, and instead received 29% of the vote. Nonetheless, he failed to force Putin into a runoff.][
]
Positions
Zyuganov agreed with Putin’s handling of the Second Chechen War
The Second Chechen War (russian: Втора́я чече́нская война́, ) took place in Chechnya and the border regions of the North Caucasus between the Russia, Russian Federation and the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, from Augus ...
.[
Zyuganov advocated a significantly expanded social safety net.][
His chief economist, ]Sergey Glazyev
Sergey Yurievich Glazyev (russian: Серге́й Юрьевич Глазьев) (born January 1, 1961, in Zaporozhye, Ukrainian SSR, USSR) is a Russian politician and economist, member of the National Financial Council of the Bank of Russia, ...
, promised that Russia 10% annual growth under Zyuganov's economic policies.[
His platform proposed the creation of a "regulated market", in which the state would hold a controlling share in certain key sectors of the economy, such as the energy, transport and military industries.]
In an adaption of trickle-down economics
Trickle-down economics is a term used in critical references to economic policies that favor the upper income brackets, corporations, and individuals with substantial wealth or capital. In recent history, the term has been used by critics of ...
, Zyuganov proposed cutting taxes on domestic industry in half. He also proposed cuts to energy, transport and communications tariffs.[
Zyuganov advocated instating a state monopoly on alcohol and tobacco.][
He promised to deliver higher minimum wages. His proposed minimum wage increases would equal $105 per month for doctors and teachers and $35 for others, a significant increase from the existing minimum wage, which equaled just $14.][
]
See also
*Gennady Zyuganov presidential campaign, 1996
The 1996 Gennady Zyuganov presidential campaign sought to elect the leader of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, Communist Party of Russia, Gennady Zyuganov as President of Russia in the 1996 Russian presidential election, 1996 presid ...
*Gennady Zyuganov presidential campaign, 2008
The Gennady Zyuganov presidential campaign, 2008 was the presidential campaign of Gennady Zyuganov in the 2008 election. This was the third presidential campaign of Zyuganov, who had been a candidate in both the 1996 and 2000 elections.
Backgrou ...
*Gennady Zyuganov presidential campaign, 2012
The Gennady Zyuganov presidential campaign, 2012 was the presidential campaign of Gennady Zyuganov in the 2012 Russian presidential election. This was the fourth presidential campaign of Zyuganov, who had been a candidate in both the 1996, 2000, a ...
References
{{Communist Party of the Russian Federation
Zyuganov
Gennady Andreyevich Zyuganov (russian: Генна́дий Андре́евич Зюга́нов; born 26 June 1944) is a Russian politician, who has been the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation and served as ...
presidential campaign, 2000
Zyuganov, 2000