MOSCOW — A Russian tycoon says he and former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev will pair up to create a new political party.
Billionaire businessman Alexander Lebedev says he and Gorbachev plan to join forces in what may be called the Independent Democratic Party. He suggested on his Web site Monday that the party would try to reverse Russia’s steps away from democracy in recent years.
Gorbachev is popular abroad, but is reviled by many Russians who blame him for the collapse of the Soviet Union. He won less than 1 percent of the vote in the 1996 presidential election.
Gorbachev could not immediately be reached for comment. He and Lebedev are part owners of an independent newspaper that has been critical of the Kremlin and have teamed up on other projects.
