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Denis Beloglazov (1932-9 July 2012) was President of Russia from 24 April 1995 to 5 October 1998, preceding Zhenya Lagransky. Beloglazov was the leader of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation in the years following the Dissolution of the Soviet Union, and he was initially popular among members of the Russian electorate who felt left behind by the neoliberal reforms of the 1990s or yearned for a return to the stability and national pride of the Soviet era. While he presided over an era of economic growth, his government was afflicted with corruption scandals, resulting in the victory of Zhenya Lagransky in the 1998 presidential election. Beloglazov remained leader of the Communist Party in opposition, staunchly opposing Lagransky's authoritarian conservative regime until his death in 2012 at the age of 80.

Biography[]

Denis Beloglazov was born in Kaluga, Kaluga Oblast, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union in 1932, and he worked as a machinist before joining the CPSU and becoming supervisor of a machine parts factory during the 1960s. Beloglazov came to chair the regional party committee and rise to the CPSU's Central Committee during the 1980s, during which time he resisted Mikhail Gorbachev's glasnost and perestroika reforms. By the time of the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, he had emerged as a leader of the hardline communist movement.

Beloglazov became a major figure in the Soviet-nationalist camp during the 1990s, and, in 1995, he led the CPRF to win a significant plurality of the vote in that year's legislative elections. The CPRF placed in first with 28.01% and 10/35 State Duma seats, followed by the LDPR with 19.97% and 7/35 seats, Our Home - Russia with 17.78% and 6/35 seats, Yabloko with 15.43% and 5/35 seats, Democratic Choice of Russia with 11.25% and 4/35 seats, and the Agrarian Party of Russia with 7.56% and 3/35 seats. Beloglazov went on to defeat LDPR leader Petr Sagadeyev in the presidential by a margin of 56.8% and 43.2%, becoming President of the Russian Federation.

Tenure[]

Beloglazov inherited a budget of ₽146 million, with a weekly growth of ₽6 million. Under Beloglazov, the Duma voted 32-0 to create a bus transport service, 29-1 to increase the Duma's size from 35 to 70 seats, 19-12 to prioritize school funding over police funding, 12-11 against a tobacco tax, 22-2 for road maintenance funding, 17-10 against abolishing the housing tax, 13-12 against a coffee tax, 31-1 to fund agriculture research, and 29-2 to fund public housing.

In the 3 June 1996 elections, the CPRF maintained its lead with 27.24% of the vote and 19/70 seats, while Our Home - Russia rose to 22% and 15/70 seats, Yabloko rose to 16.64% and 12/70 seats, the LDPR fell to 15.15% and 11/70 seats, Democratic Choice fell to 10.6% and 7/70 seats, and the Agrarian Party rose to 8.37% and 6/70 seats. The LDPR were the biggest losers of the election, while Our Home - Russia established itself as the leader of the centrist and capitalist bloc in the Duma. In the ensuing presidential election, however, Beloglazov defeated Our Home - Russia leader Zhenya Lagransky by a margin of 57% to 43%.

By the start of Beloglazov's second term, the economy was roaring, with a budget of ₽367 million and a weekly increase of ₽5 million. However, CPRF lawmaker Rasim Ryabtsev's corruption scandal caused the CPRF to experience a slight dip in popularity. The Duma voted 28-20 against a tobacco tax, 32-24 for party funding, 54-13 to abolish the 7% electoral threshold, 28-25 for a school bus tax, 30-26 to keep the housing tax, 29-26 against a tobacco tax, 59-4 for free primary education, and 50-10 for public libraries.

On 28 July 1997, new elections were held. Our Home - Russia won 25.72% and 18/70 seats, the CPRF fell to 23.91% and 17/70 seats, the LDPR fell to 15.02% and 10/70 seats, Yabloko fell to 14.2% and 10/70 seats, Democratic Choice rose to 01.85% and 8/70 seats, and the Agrarian Party rose to 10.29% and 7/70 seats. The CPRF and LDPR's corruption scandals dented their popularity, while Our Home - Russia deputy German Kandinsky's scandal failed to derail his party's upward trajectory. Beloglazov narrowly won re-election by a margin of 51.9% to Lagransky's 48.1%.

Beloglazov's re-election was followed by two weeks of Our Home - Russia protests, and the economy began to experience a slow downturn due to high spending. The Duma also voted 53-10 to raise the constitutional amendment threshold to 80%, 40-17 for a coffee tax, 60-3 for an ambulance service, 50-9 for a child benefit, 39-17 for a land tax, Meanwhile, LDPR lawmaker Natasya Afonina was imprisoned for a corruption scandal, while CPRF lawmaker Luka Ankudinov (who was later imprisoned) stole 30 million rubles from his party's coffers Yabloko lawmaker Marfa Mozhayeva stole 20 million from her party.

On 21 September 1998, new elections were held as the CPRF and LDPR's popularity collapsed due to corruption scandals. Our Home - Russia won 31.26% of the vote and 22/70 seats, while the CPRF fell to 21.16% and 15/70 seats, Yabloko rose to 16.68% and 12/70 seats, Democratic Choice rose to 12.34% and 8/70 seats, the LDPR fell to 9.89% and 7/70 seats, and the Agrarian Party fell to 8.66% and 6/70 seats. Lagransky proceeded to win 52.2% of the vote to Beloglazov's 47.8%, unseating the Communist Party from power.

Beloglazov would continue to be a major opposition leader until his death in 2012 at the age of 80. Igor Bolshakov succeeded him as party leader.

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