New Russian nationalist party formed

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MOSCOW, March 29 (UPI) -- A Russian Nationalist said the "wind is blowing in our sails" Thursday as he announced the creation of a new political party.

Vladimir Tor, head of the National Democratic Party's executive committee, said he is convinced the group will be allowed to register as a political party, RIA Novosti reported. The party hopes to merge Tor's Movement Against Illegal Immigration with the Russian Public Movement headed by Konstantin Krylov, the Russian Civil Union led by Anton Susov and other nationalist groups.

A poll in December found that almost seven out of 10 Russians support the slogan "Russia for Russians," while 62 percent agreed with the slogan "Stop feeding the Caucasus," referring to aid to the majority-Muslim Russian republics in the North Caucasus.

"The spirit of the times has changed and the wind is blowing in our sails," Tor said.

Krylov, who appeared with Tor and other leaders at a Moscow news conference, said the group expects to do well in elections.

Immigration from former Soviet republics in Central Asia and movement from the North Caucasus to St. Petersburg, Moscow and other cities in the Russian heartland have contributed to nationalist sentiment. Nationalists were prominent in the demonstrations against Vladimir Putin and his United Russia Party before the presidential election.