Ex-Chess Champion Kasparov's Social Organization Registered by Justice Ministry

Russia's Justice Ministry has registered the interregional social organization led by former world chess champion Garry Kasparov.

The United Civil Front has over 2,000 members and departments in 40 Rusian regions.

As Kasparov said in May while announcing the creation of his front, it "will work to preserve electoral democracy in Russia. We have started to set up the United Civil Front together with those who share our views not because we like the word 'front', but if the authorities declare a war on us, we should somehow respond to this."

The front's manifest said the organization is "not only in opposition to Vladimir Putin's regime, we do not acknowledge the current regime as a legitimate in principle. Vladimir Putin was originally not elected but appointed president who came to power with the help of a rude manipulation of the public opinion, with the help of the most cynical and bloody technology, the war in Chechnya."

The front is aimed at overcoming Putin's power.