Igor Lyakhov, Chairman of the Smolensk Oblast Duma and head of the regional United Russia branch, claimed that the multiparty system was forced upon Russia by the West. He made this statement in an interview with the magazine O Chem Govorit Smolensk ("What Smolensk Talks About") on December 11.
"The idea of a multiparty system came to us from the West, and this approach is completely alien to us. The multiparty system, by the way, destroyed the Russian Empire and undermined the principles of the Soviet Union. That’s why I support the idea of a one-party state," Igor Lyakhov stated.
He cited the Soviet Union and China as "successful examples" of one-party rule. "I believe the state policy should be clearly defined by the country’s leader and supported by their party," Lyakhov added.
In August 2023, Lyakhov filed a report against deputy Vladislav Zhivitsa, who had announced the creation of the Smolensk Republican Center and unveiled the flag of an independent Smolensk region. In July 2024, the center was classified as an undesirable organization within the non-existent Anti-Russian Separatist Movement.