Mironov, who also leads the Russian Party of Life, lashed out at the idea to remove the "against all" option from ballot papers at elections to all levels, saying that United Russia was making "a major strategic mistake," Vedomosti reported.
"This is dangerous," the newspaper quoted Mironov as saying. "I predict with a high degree of precision that removal of the 'against all' option would nurture the emergence of more illegal radical, nationalistic organizations."
Russia is one of few countries to effectively institutionalize abstentions by giving voters the option to reject all candidates on the ballot paper. But parliament's lower house, which is dominated by United Russia, has passed in first reading a bill to remove the option in a bid to raise voters' political awareness and cut the number of re-runs ahead of parliamentary and presidential elections in 2007 and 2008.
The Communists and independent candidates have criticized the bill as undemocratic.
"Against all" garnered most votes in eight single-mandate constituencies in 1999, and in three constituencies in 2003, but has been less popular at presidential elections: In 2000, it came sixth out of 11 candidates, with 1.8% of the vote, and fifth out of six with 3.5% in 2004.
Mironov said that by voting against all candidates, people were demonstrating their position, although an alarming one, the newspaper reported. These people simply cannot find their political niche, according to Mironov.
"It is a kind of thermometer, measuring the political health of society and citizens and their attitude to the existing system of political parties," Mironov told the paper. "But United Russia's initiative resembles a new method of curing a disease, when a thermometer is thrown away and nothing is done to lower body temperature."
The speaker said he would vote against the bill, but suggested the majority of senators, who are members of United Russia, could support it, Vedomosti reported.
Mironov said that laws must not be amended in the name of self-interest, although he said United Russia was probably looking to continue reforms and maintain stability in the country. He said lawmakers should remember that they themselves could suffer from them when the situation changed, the paper said, adding that Mironov had warned that powerful United Russia could collapse "like a Colossus with feet of clay, burying others under the rubble."
"Remember? Who could imagine in the early 1980s that the U.S.S.R. would cease to exist in 10 years' time?" Mironov said.
Although hailing the dominant party's positive conservative and stabilizing role, Mironov said that new political forces were needed to push crucial projects and promote progress. He said his Party of Life would run for parliament in 2007 and could emerge as a counterbalance, left-wing social democratic party.
