Back in the U.S.S.R. with pro-Putin party?

By Guy Faulconbridge

MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin's favorite party rejects any comparison with the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU), but at United Russia's Ninth Conference on Monday it looked just the part.

Delegates held up white cards to rubberstamp every single one of the party leadership's proposals, including the creation of a new post of party chairman to offer to Putin on Tuesday.

United Russia, which boasts nearly 2 million members, describes itself as "the party of power", controls parliament and proclaims itself a key driver of reform in Russia, just as the CPSU presented itself as the arbiter of political life.

Books of Putin's speeches were given away free, alongside a new collection of speeches by president-elect Dmitry Medvedev, who is due to be sworn in on May 7.

Party members spent hours on Monday in debates about how to make Russia a "great power" with an innovative economy with no corruption and a large middle class.

It was unclear whether they were humming the Soviet national anthem or the reworked Russian version -- with the same music -- when they stood up later to open the conference.

"I would like to say that Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, one of the founders of the party, has always been beside United Russia and the party has always supported Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin," United Russia chief Boris Gryzlov told delegates.

Gryzlov, a former Interior Minister who often looks uneasy in public, asked them to support the creation of a new post of party chairman to offer to Putin.

"If we support these changes and additions then tomorrow we can at our conference offer Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin to become the chairman and lead our party," Gryzlov said, before a sea of white cards were held up in support of the motion.

"Who is against, who is abstaining? This was passed unanimously," Gryzlov said in a monotone under a banner reading "We will be victorious together".

THE RULING PARTY?

The Kremlin has given no indications about whether Putin will take a role in the party's leadership. Putin is expected to attend the second day of the conference on Tuesday.

Delegates, many taking pictures of themselves inside a giant hall in central Moscow, said Putin's leadership was essential to maintain stability. Some whispered that he could revamp the party into a force for stability in the future.

Critics say Putin could become a new General Secretary, a reference to Soviet leaders, if he accepts the post of party chairman.

In Soviet times, all policy decisions were taken by the Communist Party's Politburo and the General Secretary wielded enormous power.

United Russia delegates said Putin was more akin to Tsar Alexander II than to any Soviet leader.

United Russia was founded in last days of former President Boris Yeltsin's rule to ensure the Kremlin's control of parliament.

Opponents say the party has become a frail alliance of officials and businessmen that would implode without Kremlin support, just as the Soviet Communist party imploded after the fall of the Soviet Union.

Under Putin, the party HAS enjoyed lavish funding from a series of pro-Kremlin businessmen. It says it supports all of Putin's policies.

But some leading businessmen looked bored and yawned openly at one long discussion about innovation in an economy which is still heavily reliant on the export of oil, gas and commodities.

(Editing by Matthew Jones)