What the Party of People's Freedom Wants

Democracy (a state governed by the will of the people).

A state order in which all citizens are free and equal, and all participate equally through their elected representatives in the organization of the state, is called a democracy. Only in a democratic state does the government execute the will of the people rather than recklessly acting against it. The Party of People's Freedom wants the Russian state to be a democracy.

A democratic state can be either a democratic monarchy (as, for example, in England) or a democratic republic (as, for example, in France and North America). In a democratic monarchy, a hereditary tsar (monarch) stands at the head of the state; in a republic, an elected official for a fixed term stands at the head of the state (in foreign language this is called a president, and in Russian one could call them an elected State Head, similar to how there is an elected City Head in cities).

What kind of order should be introduced in Russia—a democratic monarchy or a democratic republic? A monarchy can be truly democratic only in very rare cases; it requires an especially steadfast character of the people, centuries-long struggle for freedom, and many other favorable conditions to create a democratic monarchy like the one in England. These conditions do not exist in Russia. Therefore, the restoration of tsarist power would be dangerous for the popular cause in Russia; it is easier to create a true democracy in a republic. From the history of other peoples, it is known, however, that it is difficult for a people accustomed to tsarist power to free themselves from this habit and transition to a republic; such a people feel as if a state without a hereditary tsar is a state without order.