Chair of Sverdlovsk Electoral Commission Mostovschikov to dismissal!

Statement by the YABLOKO party. February 5, 2010

The Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO expresses its categorical protest in connection with the actions of the Chair of the Sverdlovsk Electoral Commission V.D.Mostovschikov.

Mostovschikov made multiple statements in the mass media on alleged violations of law in proposing the list of candidates to the election, the documents submitted to the electoral commission, including signatures submitted for enrollment in the race, prior to adoption of decisions by the electoral commission. We assess the actions of the Chair of the Sverdlovsk Electoral Commission as unlawful, biased and virtually representing propaganda in favour of other parties participation in the election, first of all progovernmental United Russia.

European liberals welcome Russia to the European Union

Press Release. February 3, 2010

YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin called to the activisation of efforts in the introduction of a visa-free regime between Russia and the European Union at the meeting of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) taking place in Brussels today. ALDE is the third largest faction in the European Parliament holding the balance between the right and the left.

Sergei Mitrokhin told in his speech that “the European Union should work out a strategy for interaction with Russia based on integration rather than confrontation”. “The European Union should initiate the projects that would involve and initiate the Russian society and elite into the European values and approaches,” he said. According to Mitrokhin, such a strategy can ensure Russia’s movement along the European way of development...

According to Mitrokhin, the idea of abolishing visas between Russia and the EU was proposed as early as in 1995 by the YABLOKO faction in the Russian parliament. “We specially invited then Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Igor Ivanov and persuaded him that this initiative was not a fantasy,” Mitrokhin said. He also noted that in 2003 Ivanov shared these ideas with his Italian counterpart.

A number of MPs of the European Parliament supported the idea of development of a new European strategy in relations with Russia and agreed with Mitrokhin that the European Union had not developed such a strategy yet. Some MPs also supported the proposals on the earliest introduction of a visa-free regime and also stated that they would welcome Russia’s perspective joining the European Union...

Sergei Mitrokhin's speech. Video (Russian)

On elimination of visa regime between Russia and the EU

Statement by the Party Chairman. February 1, 2010

The Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO considers abolishing of the visa barrier separating the European Union and Russia be the most important and a very necessary step towards RF-EU integration.
The advantages that both the sides will get in solving this problem considerably overweight the bureaucratic problems that may seem insurmountable today.

We are certain that the issue of elimination the visa barrier between Russia and Europe should be examined and solved by politicians rather than bureaucrats. A political will towards strategic decision-making will enable us to find constructive ways out in such issues as, for example, the readmission problem.

We would like to specially stress that freedom of movement within Great Europe is not reduced for the Russian citizens to facilitation of their business, study or tourist trips (albeit this is also very important). This means their normal life within a single European civilization on the basis of shared principles. And this issue has become especially acute when a visa barrier separated us from our closest Eastern European neighbours as close interaction with them has always been and continue to be very important when we speak about European trends in Russia.

Memorial’s lectures in YABLOKO. The History of the Soviet Terror

Annoucement, February 4, 2010

We are proud to announce that we are launching lectures of Memorial heads and experts within the programme of our Evening University.
Please find below the schedule of the first lectures...

Please also note that you can see Memorial’s exhibition A History of an Execution at YABLOKO’s office...

The authorities chose to support of oligarchs’ interests and reprisals against public organisations rather than protection of the Lake Baikal

Statement of the Bureau of the YABLOKO party, February 1, 2010

On January 28, 2010 the police of the Irkutsk region without any rulings of the court or public prosecutor blocked the work of the largest public organisation engaged in protection of the Lake Baikal – The Baikal Ecological Wave – confiscating their computers under the pretext of a check whether this organisation had been using licensed software. However, the representatives of the interior refused even to look at the certificates of the software submitted to them. The ecologists who tried to disobey confiscation of their computers were threatened with legal persecution in view of “attacking the police”.

The YABLOKO party expresses its resolute protest in view of such actions of the interior and considers them as a awkward attempt to shut down the wave of public discontent in view of the adoption by the Government of the RF of a resolution allowing to resume functioning of the Baikal Cellulose Paper Plant that have been polluting Baikal with its waste, as well as stored, buried and burnt hazardous waste on the banks of the lake. Such governmental decision was adopted in satisfaction of short-term interests of the owner of the plant – a definite tycoon, and contradicts Russia’s interests.

Governor Gromov motions a libel suit against Sergei Mitrokhin

Press Release, February 1, 2010

Governor of the Moscow Region Boris Gromov motioned a libel suit against YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin who had laid blame for a physical attack on Editor-in-Chief of Khimskinskaya Pravda oppositional paper Mikhail Beketov. The official claims compensation of RUR 500,000 (about USD 16,600) for the moral damage.

Sergei Mitrokhin stated that the party had grounds to think that “Administration of the Khimki city district and personally Head of Administration Strelchenko supported by Governor Gromov are behind this crime” during an action held on November 16, 2009 one year after the attack. A video record of Sergei Mitrokhin’s speech published at YABLOKO’s web-site was used by the Governor as an evidence of libel.

On November 13, 2008, Editor-in-Chief of Khimskinskaya Pravda oppositional paper Mikhail Beketov who had been opposing the construction of a paid highway Moscow – St.Petersburg, was found unconscious in the yard of his house. Doctors stated a severe head injury, multiple factions and injuries. Despite treatment Beketov remains a handicapped – he can not take care of himself and his speech functions have not restored. The action in support of Beketov was held under the slogans “Attack on Beketov Is an Attack on the Freedom of Speech” and “Attack on Beketov Is Political Terror”.

Social orphanage Zhizn (Life) in St.Petersburg needs your support!

February 2, 2010

Social orphanage Zhizn (Life) gives shelter and normal living conditions to orphans and social orphans. The orphanage was founded over 15 years ago and helped to about 600 children. The orphanage does not get any state aid and has been financed by private donations only.

At present the orphanage has to move to a new place and its expenditures have abruptly grown. Zhizn would be grateful for any aid, as it is moving to empty flats. For bank transfers pls use the following banking details (it is important to indicate that it is charity).

Even if you do not have a possibility to help us financially, you can help to the orphanage by spreading information about it.

See also:

Youth YABLOKO organisation of St.Petersburg for the protection of an orphanage. Press Release. September 8, 2009

Assessment of Russia’s Present Political System and the Principles of Its Development. Brief note for the State Council meeting (January 22, 2010) by Dr.Grigory Yavlinsky, member of YABLOKO’s Political Committee. January 22, 2010

...In the absence of serious attention to the raise of political culture and freedom of speech, elections in our country will become a fest of demagogues and populists killing the system.

The main problems and goals of the society and the state in the field of creation of modern political system and political reform do not represent a mere correction, they mean bringing of life and sense into Russian politics.

Only in this case it will be of interest for the people and will be worthy of their attention. To achieve this we should first of all raise the level of public consciousness and open opportunities for public participation in the power and politics.

We think that to prevent dissolution of the Russian political system in 2010 – 2012 we need to undertake the following gradual but nonetheless decisive steps...

Brief Outline of Sergei Mitrokhin’s Report at the State Council meeting

January 22, 2010

The key problem of Russia’s political system is monopolism which manifests itself in three major ways:

1) bodies of power and parliaments of all levels demonstrate monopoly of one party representing the interests of bureaucracy and large-scale business merged with it;
2) complete dominance of the executive over the judicial authority;
3) dictate of one social class – the bureaucracy – over all other social groups.
Thus, the present political system generally reproduces the Soviet system, with its key flaw – the monopoly of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union on power.

Overcoming the Totalitarian Past: Foreign Experience and Russian Problems by Galina Mikhaleva. Research Centre for the East European Studies, Bremen, February 2010. Feburary, 2010

Russia’s leaders are looking to the country’s history to find ways to justify renewed imperial ambitions. While a study of foreign experience shows that there are numerous ways to for a country to deal with its totalitarian past, the problem is complicated in the post-Communist context because politicians seek to use history as a tool for their own purposes. The YABLOKO party recently adopted a resolution dealing with the uses of history to stimulate democratic transition, but it so far has had no impact on Russian society.

Picketing in favour of Rechnik took place by the building of the Russian Government

Press Release, January 29, 2010

Today on January 29, 2010, the residents of the bulldozed Rechnik village together with YABLOKO activists organised a mobile picket in the form of automobile race. Since 2-30 p.m. picketing took place by the RF Government’s building. YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitorkhin took place in the action.The participants of the picket hold a placard running “Yes to the amnesty of dachas!” and picturing President Medvedev and Prime Minister Putin.

“We consider all the developments in Rechnik complete lawlessness, as not only a law on the “amnesty” of dachas but also a number of other laws make bureaucrats to file property title on land and houses in such cooperatives as Rechnik,” Mitrokhin told to journalists. “We think that this lawlessness is performed in the interests of bureaucracy and large business which would like to use this territory. The state demonstrates its cynical attitude to the people who with their own labour made money for construction of their private houses on legally purchased plots of land,” he added.

more

See also:

'Selective justice' in Moscow as houses razed overnight. Reuters. Jan.28, 2010

The staff of the Government of the Moscow Region interferes with YABLOKO’s picketing

Press Release, January 28, 2010

The staff of the Government of the Moscow Region interfered with YABLOKO’s one-man picketing in front of their building. YABLOKO protests against virtual introduction of a ban on one-man pickets which has been initiated by the Moscow Region Duma.

The parliament of the Moscow Region submitted to the State Duma a draft law stipulating that one-man pickets (in addition to demonstrations, rallies and group pickets) should be not only coordinated with the authorities but organisers of such pickets should also submit the plan and schedule of such picketing. Activists of the Moscow Region branch of YABLOKO call one-man picketing the only form of street protest which has been available, as normally the authorities ban rallies and pickets with a large number of participants under faked pretexts.

Ekaterinburg’s Mayor suits the leader of the regional YABLOKO branch

Press Release, January 27, 2010

Ekaterinburg’s Mayor Arkady Chernetsky set in motion a lawsuit against deputy of the city Duma and leader of the regional YABLOKO branch Maxim Petlin.

The Mayor began a defamation case stating that Maxim Petlin had libeled against him at TV programme Vesti. The Mayor assessed his moral damage at RUR 600,000 (approximately USD 20,000) which makes 30 per cent of his official annual income amounting to RUR 1,700,000.

“Once Chernetsky sold out half of all the kindergartens buildings in Ekaterinburg,” Petlin said at the Vesti programme. The Mayor considered this statement be a libel.

However, explaining this situation Chernetsky told to the anchor of the Studio 41 TV programme that he had sold “only three kindergartens”. Other had been transferred to different companies and entities “free of charge”.

The Moscow City Court to examine YABLOKO’s cassation appeals concerning annulment of the results of the voting at four electoral districts

Press Release, January 27, 2010

Tomorrow on January 28, the Moscow City Court will examine YABLOKO’s cassation appeals on the decisions of district courts rejecting YABLOKO’s claims of recounting votes at four electoral districts where the United Russia party was added over 1,500 votes by sheer fraud during election to the Moscow parliament.

A cassation appeal on the decision of the Perovo District Court will be examined in room 225 at 10-30 a.m. In late December the court declined YABLOKO’s suit on annulment of the results of the voting at electoral districts No 887 and 888. According the official data, the United Russia party obtained there 1,002 votes more than was indicated in the signed copies of the protocols handed to the observers.

The Charter Court of St.Petersburg refused to examine the Okhta-Centre case

Press Release, January 27, 2010

Yesterday the Charter Court of St.Petersburg refused to examine the complaint of Maxim Reznik, the leader of St.Petersburg YABLOKO branch. Reznik claimed the resolution of the St.Petersburg’s government on construction of 403 meter high Okhta-Centre and a number of legislative acts should be cancelled. The Charter Court as well as Public Prosecutor preferred not to interfere into the scandal around Gazprom’s skyscraper Okhta-Centre and wait until “a general jurisdiction court makes its judgment”.

Reznik applied to the St.Petersburg’s Charter Court claiming that the resolution of the city government headed by Governor Valentina Matviyenko was unlawful as allowed Gazprom to construct at 403 meter high skyscraper prohibited in the historical part of the city. Also Reznik asked to cancel several normative acts (on regulation of city construction and public hearings) that served as a basis for the scandalous resolution.

Mitrokhin: “It is barbarity to evict people in such frosts”

Press Release, January 26, 2010

YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin called Vladimir Resin, head of the Moscow Construction Complex, to apply to the Bailiffs Service with a demand to suspend housebreaking in the Rechnik settlement at least by the end of frosts. Such a proposal was made by Sergei Mitorkhin during yesterday’s meeting with Vladimir Resin devoted to the problems Moscow’s construction complex.

“Whatever ideas of the Moscow authorities could be here, but housebreaking and evicting people to the street in such frosts is barbarity. I proposed to Vladimir Resin to conduct conciliatory procedures with the residents of Rechnik, however, I did not get any support here,” Mitrokhin said. Nevertheless YABLOKO’s leader has been insisting on his proposals.

“I also expect some reaction to these developments from President Medvedev and Prime Minister Putin whom I reported about this situation at the State Council meeting,” Mitorkhin said.

Young people from the Northern Caucasus stand for peaceful relations among republics

Press Release, January 26, 2010

After Taimuraz Mamsurov, head of the North Ossetia, and Yunus-bek-Yevkurov, head of Ingushetia, signed a programme for broadening of cooperation among republics, activists of youth movements also held their actions targeted at prevention of conflicts.

Youth public and human rights organisations from Chechnya, North Ossetia, Kabardino-Balkaria and Ingushetia met at the forum Youth for Peace at the Caucasus. YABLOKO activists from the North Ossetian branch of the party also took part in the forum.

Apple tree garden in Biryulyovo, Moscow, will be preserved

Press Release, January 25, 2010

“Apple tree garden in Biryulyovo, Moscow, will not be cut”, Vladimir Resin, head of the Moscow Construction Complex told to YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin during their meeting today. Moreover, the plot of land with the apple tree garden will be included into the natural reserve Biryulyovo Dendrary Park...

It is already the second apple tree garden saved by YABLOKO. In 2006 the party managed to stop cutting of the trees in Davydkovo district.

Galina Mikhalyova: 'If Medvedev Is in Favour of Democracy, YABLOKO Will Support Medvedev

Svobodnaya Pressa, January 15, 2010

Interview with Galina Mikhaylovna Mikhalyova, Doctor of Philosophy, Director of Center for Contemporary Politics Research, and Executive Secretary of the Political Committee of the YABLOKO party

On the threashold of Political Council meeting on political reform sheduled on January 22, the Kremlin received seven draft programmes for reform from all the parties. The reader may recall that the Communists asked Dmitry Medvedev to hold this State Council meeting during their meeting with him after the parliamentary opposition's demarche and announcement that October elections were fraudulent. The parties' proposals will become the basis of a report to be presented at the State Council meeting by Kaliningrad Oblast Governor Georgy Boos, the head of the working group. Doctor of Philosophy Galina Mikhalyova, Director of the Center for Contemporary Politics Research and Executive Secretary of the YABLOKO Party's Political Committee, talked about what the parties want from the President.

YABLOKO’s leader blocked by police in the Rechnik cottage village, Moscow

Press Release, January 21, 2010

This morning YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin arrived at the site of the Rechnik village where bulldozers began pulling down the houses early in the morning.

Mitrokhin noted that YABLOKO had been deterring pulling down of the village for two years. According to Mitrokhin, the Court Bailiffs Service, the police and the local authorities resumed their efforts as soon as the term of YABLOKO’s deputies in the Moscow City Duma expired and YABLOKO was not able to get the mandates after fraudulent elections of October 11.

On arriving at the site Mitorkhin called Ferdauis Yusupov, head of the Moscow Court Bailiffs Service. Yusupov asked Mitrokhin to find out whether there were any court decisions or documents for pulling down the houses. However, when Mitrokhin tried to find out the legal basis for demolishing of the village he was quickly blocked by police. Policemen made a cordon around him and did not let him freely move in the territory of the village.

Activists and leaders of the YABLOKO party participate in the action in memory of Stanislav Markelov and Anastasiya Baburova in Moscow

Press Release, January 20, 2010

Activists and leaders of the YABLOKO party participated in the action in memory of Stanislav Markelov and Anastasiya Baburova murdered a year ago.

Party leader Sergei Mitrokhin and member of the Political Committee Sergei Kovalyov participated in the march along Petrovsky Boulevard. Grigory Yavlinsky laid flowers to the place where Markelov and Baburova were killed and came to the picket by the Griboyedov monument where the march ended.

YABLOKO’s activists noted that they managed to escape mass-scale police reprisals only due to interference of Russia’s Ombudsman Vladimir Lukin who came to Petrovsky Boulevard.

At present YABLOKO’s activists are trying to prevent the second wave of arrests, provoked by the police who tore the megaphone from the speakers at the picket.

Attitude to human rights activists as a criterion of a law governed state

Statement of the YABLOKO party, January 19, 2010

The Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO states that the work of human rights activists and independent journalists in Russia have not become less dangerous for the year since the murder of Stanislav Markelov and Anastasiya Baburova.

It’s not only because the past year saw new attacks against human rights.

Nothing changed in the policies of the authorities and the situation with resentment of dissenting opinions promoted by the state mass media. State officials have been treating human rights activists as the enemies of the state, and their opinion coincides here with that of nationalists and fascists.

Such an attitude of the state to human rights activists demonstrates that at present Russia is not a law-governed state and, moreover, it does not try to become such.

Picket against scanty pensions accrued to the military pensioners held by the Ministry of Defence

Press Service, January 20, 2010

Picket against scanty pensions accrued by the state to the military pensioners was held by the Ministry of Defence today. The activists of the YABLOKO party and the Elder Generation movement (the former Pensioners’ Party) protested against the present system of calculation of pensions basing on the fixed wage only and neglecting all the wage increments and bonuses the military normally get. This system leaves military pensioners with tiny pensions despite their real aggregate earnings during their service.

The activists of the Youth YABLOKO held a banner “Military Pensions Are a Shame on the State!”

Crimes Against Nations Do Not Have a Limitation Period

Sergei Mitrokhin’s blog at the Echo Moskvi web-site, January 17, 2010

My post about the criminal mapping of the communist regime provoked an ardent discussion [in my blog]. However, I think that not all the readers have carefully thought over the issue.

In my post I wrote that there had been different crimes of communism against nations, and that they had been taking not only the form of terror or Famine genocide. Artificial division of nations implemented throughout the Soviet history is also a crime. [President of Ukraine] Viktor Yuschenko has been insisting on consideration of the Famine genocide only as a crime against the Ukrainian nation. In my view this represents typical political manoeuvring. Stalinist-Bolsheviks crimes targeted not only the Ukrainian nation. It is undeserving to speculate with such things for political reasons and basing on our common tragedy boost nationalism and hatred among nations.

If International Tribunal on the crimes of communism could take place, there would be certainly raised an issue about criminal separation of nations by means of arbitrary boundaries. It would be important for Russia, but before this Russia should on the state level and officially in the legal form condemn Stalinism as the hardest crime, including such crimes as deportation of nations and many other, including Famine genocide as a terrible crime of Stalin’s regime.

Russia’s Borders as a Communist Crime

Sergei Mitrokhin’s blog at the Echo Moskvi web-site, January 15, 2010

Ukrainian President Viktor Yuschenko put forward an initiative to call an international tribunal on the crimes of communism.

I think that his initiative should be completely supported by the Russian leaders. This would be a good method to finally give a distinct state assessment to the criminal acts of Bolsheviks – communists.

Certainly it would be better if we could initiate such a tribunal in our country. As despite the Famine genocide, the Russian nation and other nations living in Russia suffered far more from the Bolshevik-Stalinist genocide than the Ukrainian nation.

Speaking about crimes against people, I should point out that they took place not only in the form of genocide. Maybe Viktor Yuschenko did not think about this, as if he did he would not propose such an idea.

Artificial division of nations conducted throughout the Soviet history is a crime. Maybe not so grave as genocide, but nonetheless a crime.

YABLOKO demands dismissal of a top official

Press Release, January 15, 2010

Sergei Mitrokhin, leader of the YABLOKO party, applied to the Ministry of Economic Development, the State Register and Public Prosecutor General demanding dismissal of O.Chapkovskaya, head of the Tikhoretsky Department of the Federal Registering Agency in the Krasnodar area. The said official completely blocked registration of citizens’ joint shared ownership to agricultural lands.

The official had been violating constitutional rights of the citizens for two years, and the latter had to seek justice in court. The court examined 107 complaints on unlawful actions of an official, making judgments on each of the cases recognizing the actions of the state registrator Chapkovskaya unlawful.

Liberal International News, Issue 166.

LI President for strong international support for Iranian protesters
LI Deputy President launches book on the Economic Crisis
DPP looks forward after recent electoral successes
Nicaraguan Democratic Caucus rejects Ortega’s “coup d’état”
UK LibDems set out ambitious plan for Britain’s future
Canadian Liberals vocal against second suspension of Parliament
Alternative for Russia proposed by YABLOKO Congress

Alternative for Russia proposed by YABLOKO Congress

After the dubious recent regional elections in Russia, LI Full Member YABLOKO presented a democratic alternative to the Russian people during its congress. Party leader Sergei Mitrokhin said he wanted to concentrate on the important upcoming elections to the State Duma, with a focus on state control over elections at all levels. He called for the launch of a broad-scale discussion in society which should lead to the formation of a new democratic project for Russia. Grigory Yavlinsky, one of the party's founders, presented a report on the political situation in the country and the tasks of the party, and expressed YABLOKO's democratic alternative for the Russian political system: “The first goals are the introduction of freedom of speech, development of local self-governing, civil and human rights organisations, and trade unions. It is necessary to move towards abolishing of censorship, return to direct elections, gradual and complete refusal from interference of the state into the parties' affairs, change of election laws and freedom in party financing”.

read more

Activists of the Youth YABLOKO summed up the results of the Year of the Youth

Press Release, January 14, 2010

In December 2009 activists of St.Petersburg youth YABLOKO organisation summed up the results of the Year of the Youth.

The authorities reported on “great achievements” in the field of youth policy in 2009 and young YABLOKO activists decided to demonstrate these “achievements”, such as extremely low stipends (that were not raised in 2009), high unemployment among young people (young people under 25 constitute 30% of all the unemployed in the country), considerable reduction of municipal budget expenditures on the youth policy, long queues for enrollment of children to kindergartens, scandalous appointments of universities rectors, etc.

The residents of the city of Klin and YABLOKO picket by the office of the Public prosecutor of the Moscow Region

Press Release, January 14, 2010

“Klin Should Get an Honest Public Prosecutor,” – such is the slogan of pickets conducted by the residents of the Klin district, Moscow Region, and YABLOKO by the office of the Public prosecutor of the Moscow Region.

Oleg Stalnov, Public Prosecutor of Klin, was dismissed from his post and downgraded to the post of deputy Public Prosecutor of the city of Domodedovo. It has been unclear who may take the post in Klin.The residents of the city and representatives of public organisations conducted several actions and rallies demanding to dismiss Oleg Stalnov due to the growth of corruption and general negligence of his office. Thus in September 2009, YABLOKO initiated a rally of about 500 people demanding to dismiss Stalnov.

After his dismissal YABLOKO, the Society for Preservation of Nature of the Moscow Region and the Farmers’ Front sent a letter to the Public Prosecutor General demanding to “control the appointment of a new Public Prosecutor for Klin and ensure that Klin would get an honest Public Prosecutor”.

YABLOKO collected 7,600 signatures in support of YABLOKO’s list for election campaign in Ryazan

Press Release, January 13, 2010

YABLOKO collected 7,600 signatures in support of YABLOKO’s list required for registration in the election campaign to the regional Duma in the Ryazan region during the holiday period.

The list of candidates is topped by Chair of the regional party branch journalist Konstantin Smirnov, honoured teacher of the Russian Federation and deputy of the regional Duma of the second convocation Sergei Tabolin, deputy head of the party branch lawyer Dmitry Shatilov and teacher in the arts school for children Galina Vorotzova...

Campaigning among workers of the social sphere demonstrated considerable difficulties. “Despite the fact that there are many party advocates of YABLOKO among this social layer, many of them fear to sign for YABLOKO noting, for example, that the director of their school made them join the progovernmental United Russia party,” said Konstantin Smitnov, Chair of the Ryazan branch of YABLOKO. “This is not surprising, considering how toughly the regional authorities pressed the budget sphere workers at the recent elections,” he added.

The Electoral Commission of the Sverdlovsk Region hampers YABLOKO’s campaigning for mandates in the regional parliament

UralInformBureau, January 11, 2010

Chair of the Electoral Commission of the Sverdlovsk Region Vladimir Mostovschikov has been undertaking efforts for withdrawing YABLOKO’s candidates from the regional Duma campaign. The leader of YABLOKO’s branch deputy of the Ekaterinburg City Duma Maxim Petlin told to UralInfromBureau that the decisions adopted on the initiative of Mostovschikov demonstrated this too well.

Thus, the regional Electoral Commission questioned the legitimacy of the candidates non-party members proposed by YABLOKO. They had the right to apply for being enlisted as Duma candidates within the first three days on announcement of the date of voting – from December 11 to December 14. However, this norm is not mandatory. But Mostovschikov insisted that the candidates should sign their applications even after expiration of this period. Suddenly the applications made on his request turned into a stumbling block in further relations between YABLOKO and the heads of the electoral commission.

ELDR Newsletter, January 6, 2010

- Belgium - Alexander De Croo elected as new OpenVLD chairman
- Spanish presidency of the EU
- European Parliament set for hearings of commissioner designates
- Russia, Yabloko Congress - elections control top priority
- Traditional FDP meeting at Epiphany

Russia, Yabloko Congress - elections control top priority
The second session of the 15th Congress of the YABLOKO party took place on December 19-20, 2009.
YABLOKO’s Chairman, Sergei Mitrokhin (picture), called on the Congress delegates to concentrate on the tasks of the coming elections to the State Duma focusing attention on the way the elections are conducted at all stages.
“The regional elections we had in October 2009 demonstrated that degradation of the Russian political system shifted to a new level,” Mitrokhin said. According to the chairman, the country has been returning to the initial point of the late 1980s – early 1990s, the point of passive social dissatisfaction under the conditions of authoritative power.

READ MORE

YABLOKO initiated discussion of amendments to the Charter of Kazan at public hearings

Press release, Janaury 9, 2010

The YABLOKO party in the Republic of Tatarstan jointly with the movement Against Crime and Lawlessness conducted alternative public hearings on introduction of amendments to the Charter of Kazan connected with elections of the city Mayor. About 40 people – former deputies, well-known public figures, ecologists and representatives of the Guild of Small and Medium Businesses – participated in the discussion held on January 9.

Elections of the Mayor of Kazan and deputies of the regional parliament will take place in October 2010. The President and the present Mayor have already voiced their opinions that the Mayor should be elected by the deputies, however, the regional branch of YABLOKO disagree with this due to the following reasons...

Sergei Kovalev addresses the European Parliament after accepting the Sakharov Prize. Strasbourg, 16 December 2009

hro.org, December 18, 2009

Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of the Memorial organisation, I would like to thank the European Parliament for its high accolade – the Sakharov Prize.

We at Memorial see this award as relating not only to our organisation. We take the view that, through us, the prize is being bestowed on the whole human rights community in Russia, and indeed more widely – on the entire section of Russian civil society sympathetic towards defenders of human rights. For forty years now – first in the Soviet Union and then in Russia – human rights defenders have been standing up for ‘European’, that is to say, universal values. This struggle has never been easy; in recent years it has become tragic, as it increasingly claims the lives of the best, the most active and the most fearless.

I am sure that, in awarding the Sakharov Prize to the Memorial organisation, the European Parliament had them in mind, first and foremost – our dead friends, comrades-in-arms, kindred spirits. This prize belongs by right to them. And the first name I should cite is that of Natalya Estemirova, human rights defender and fellow member of Memorial, murdered this summer in Chechnya.

I cannot go on without mentioning other names too: the lawyer Stanislav Markelov and journalists Anna Politkovskaya and Anastasia Baburova, murdered in Moscow, ethnologist Nikolai Girenko shot in St Petersburg, Farid Babayev, murdered in Dagestan, and many others – sadly, it is a list that could go on for a long time. I ask you to honour the memory of these people by standing.

The murderers of Farid Babayev, the leader of the Dagestan branch of YABLOKO, can be released

Press Release, December 25, 2009

The relatives of leader of Dagestan YABLOKO and human rights activist Farid Babayev murdered in 2007, expressed their concern that the defendants had been ruining the case and that the killers would get freedom soon. The key witness of the plaintiffs who had seen the killer suddenly retracted his testimony.

On January 20, 2009, the Supreme Court of Dagestan ruled out that Rasil Mamedrizayev, a citizen of Dagestan, was guilty of murder and sentenced him to 16 years of imprisonment. The second of the culprits Seferali Sefemerzoyev accused of complicity in the murder was acquitted.The plaintiffs appealed this decision in the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation. The barrister of Mamedrizayev also appealed the decision demanding acquittal for his client. On June 4, 2009, the Supreme Court of Russia abrogated the previous decision and send the case to the Supreme Court of Dagestan to a new trial by a new composition of the court.

The only witness who gave testimony in the case under a fictitious name of Telman Akayev had seen the murderer running from the site of the crime with a gun in his hand. The witness memorized the face of the killer and pointed at Mamedrizayev during the investigation. Akayev confirmed his testimony at one of the trials standing behind the screen. After that the barrister of the accused Suleiman Azuyev threatened the witness stating that he and his relatives are well-known to the defendants. Despite multiple applications to the court the Investigation Committee of the Public Prosecutor’s Office failed to provide steadfast protection to the witness. The witness missed several sessions of the court and later there emerged information that he left for Uzbekistan together with his family.

On anti-ecological policies of Russia’s authorities

Resolution of the 15th congress of the YABLOKO party No 253, December 24, 2009

The Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO regards the supreme goal of a democratic state as ensuring of flourishing of the country, the well-fare and the highest living standards for the citizens. One of the most important functions of the government is ensuring of ecological safety of the citizens and protection of nature as a national resource which is regarded as a public asset.
The political and economic system of modern Russia, its supreme political and economic administration grossly violates the principles of ecological policies determined by the Constitution of the Russian Federation: the rights of the citizens to a friendly environment, reliable information on its condition, recovering of the damage incurred in ecological violations, rational use and protection of natural resources and careful attitude to the natural riches that should be regarded as a foundation for life and performance of the citizens.
1. The policies of Boris Yeltsin – Vladimir Putin – Dmitry Medvedev created a system of underdeveloped periphery capitalism in Russia almost entirely basing on the maintenance and development of environmentally unfriendly productions left from the Soviet times. Neither the government nor business merging with the authorities pay any serious attention to the safe environment, as it is connected with reduction of their super profits. Consequently, Russia logically and inevitably has found itself on the periphery of rapidly developing innovative world.

On the situation in the Northern Caucasus

Resolution of the 15th congress of the YABLOKO party No 252, December 24, 2009

The Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO once again expresses its deep concern on the political and economic situation in the Northern Caucasus.

Despite victorious reports on stabilisation of the situation in the Northern Caucasus the policies of the Russian authorities completely failed. Escalation of armed conflicts has been going on, clan-authoritarian developments and corruption has continued to grow in this region.

Mass-scale violations of human rights by the interior and law-enforcement agencies do not cease, Russian laws are not observed and high level of unemployment and economic retardness has been still preserved. Kidnapping and murders, first of all of human rights activists, in the Northern Caucasus have already become a norm. Farid Babayev, Natalya Estemirova, the spouses Sadulayev, Magomed Yevloyev and other renown human rights activists and descendants were murdered in the recent years.

We are greatly concerned that the killers and those who ordered these loud political murders have not been found yet, or, like in the case with Magomed Yevloyev, they manage to avoid just punishment.

Despite a moratorium on capital punishment, extrajudicial executions have been implemented in Russia, Ingushetia, Chechnya, Dagestan, Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachayevo-Cherkessia.

YABLOKO’s Congress proposes an alternative

Press release, December 21, 2009

The second session of the 15th Congress of the YABLOKO party took place on December 19-20, 2009.

YABLOKO’s Chairman Sergei Mitrokhin opened the Congress with a report on organisational tasks of the party. He called the Congress to concentrate on the tasks of the coming elections to the State Duma focusing attention on the control over elections at all the stages. Also by-elections to the Bureau took place on the first Congress day.

Reports of the political leaders of the party were on the Congress agenda on the second day.

“The regional elections we had in October 2009 demonstrated that degradation of the Russian political system shifted to a new stage,” Mitrokhin said. According to Mitrokhin, the country has been returning to the initial point of late 1980s – early 1990s, the point of passive social dissatisfaction under the conditions of authoritative power.

“The democratic project is over, the society turned it down,” such was Mitrokhin’s conclusion. He called the delegates of the Congress to review the basic approaches which discredited democracy in the eyes of the majority and launch a broad-scale discussion in the society which should lead to formation of a new democratic project for Russia.

Grigory Yavlinsky, member of YABLOKO’s Political Committee, made a detailed report on the political situation in the country and the tasks of the party.

According to Yavlinsky, “Russia’s political system has stopped being imitational as nobody believes in imitation any more.” “If the citizens of the country do not believe that they are choosing the authority, this means that both the President and the Government, and the Parliament put themselves in a very unstable position,” he said.

Propaganda of Stalinism should be prohibited

Press release, December 21, 2009

“Propaganda of Stalinism should be prohibited,” such a statement was made by YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin in view of celebration of Joseph Stalin’s birthday conducted by the Communist Party of the Russian Federation and a number of other political organisations.

“Today’s celebration [of the 130th anniversary] of the executioner of the Russian people and other nations of the former USSR represents a fest on the blood of the murdered and those tortured to death, a witless joy about the national catastrophe of 1920-1930s,” Mitrokhin said.

Mitrokhin expressed his certainly that “Stalin was responsible for the death of the best people of the Russian nation.” “The CPRF and other political organisations that are making this blasphemous celebration are demonstrating the hypocrisy of their statements in favour of protection of the rights of the working people, as their idol Stalin eliminated millions of working people,” Mitrokhin stressed.

Mitrokhin also proposed to immediately ban propaganda of Nazism and Stalinism.

Initiators of the referendum on Okhta-Centre to appeal St.Petersburg parliament’s ban on the referendum in court

Press release, December 24, 2009

Initiators of a referendum on Okhta-Centre to appeal St.Petersburg parliament’s ban on the referendum in court. This announcement was made by Chair of St.Petersburg YABLOKO and one of organisers of the referendum Maxim Reznik at the Ekho Moskvi radio station.

“This time the Legislative Assembly of St.Petersburg demonstrated absolute absence of any respect to the city dwellers saying that the legislators can not give a definition what a historical outlook of St.Petersburg is. But I am certain that shall find counter-measures against another slap on the face as regards the citizens,” Reznik said.

Deputy head of the Moscow branch of YABLOKO Eugeni Bunimovich becomes Ombudsman for Children in Moscow

Press release, December 21, 2009

Deputy head of the Moscow branch of YABLOKO Eugeni Bunimovich was appointed Ombudsman for Children in Moscow. The corresponding order was signed by Moscow Ombudsman Alexander Muzikansky.

“I find this post very important, as I as well as any other person realise what should be done here,” Bunimovich told to the Interfax news agency.

Bunimovich also noted that the post of Moscow Ombudsman for Children’s Rights is quite independent in the administration of the Moscow Ombudsman. Speaking about his plans Bunimovich told that “he is not the Plenary Meeting of the Communist Party of the USSR to make definite plans”, he “will first examine what problems and complaints people have and only after that will make plans.”

However, Bunimovich noted that he would pay special attention to children’s risk groups – orphans, neglected children and other, as well as legal education in the field of human rights for children and grown-ups. “Grown-ups often do not understand what is a violation of child’s rights or, for example, humiliation”, he noted.

Press release, December 18, 2009

On Monday, December 21, YABLOKO will participate in a round table discussion “The Problems of the Russian Science. Academic and Pedagogical Staff for Russia’s Innovations”.

Representatives of the Russian academic and expert communities, corresponding governmental agencies and departments and the Right Cause party will participate in the discussion. YABLOKO will be represented by Eugeni Bunimovich, Deputy Chair of the Moscow branch of the party and Chair of the Moscow Duma Education and Science Commission in 2005-2009, and Alexander Shishlov. Member of the YABLOKO Bureau, Chair of the State Duma Education and Science Committee in 2002-2003.

Public Prosecutor to investigate the case of young YABLOKO’s activist expelled from the university

Press release, December 17, 2009

Chairman of the YABLOKO party Sergei Mitrokhin demanded that Anton Zhebrun, young YABLOKO activist expelled from the Omsk University, should be allowed to resume his studies in the university. Such a claim was sent by Sergei Mitrokhin to Public Prosecutor of the Omsk Region and the head of the Education Control Agency.

YABLOKO connects expelling of the student with his public activities, as he is one of the leaders of the Omsk Youth YABLOKO.

Russian human rights activists get Andrei Sakharov Prize

Kommersant-Online, December 16, 2009

A solemn ceremony of awarding the Sakharov Prize took place at the session of the European Parliament in Strasburg on December 16. The laureates of the prize were Russian human rights activists Ludmila Alexeyeva, Sergei Kovalyov and Oleg Orlov. Human rights activists called the European legislators “not to turn a deaf ear” to Russian lawlessness, and President of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek expressed his hope that the murderers of Anna Politkovskaya and Natalya Estemirova will be hold for court.

European legislators welcomed the laureates with a storm of applause. Sergei Kovalyov in his speech expressed his gratitude to the European Parliament for a warm welcome, and asked the audience to hold a minute of silence in memory of Natalya Estemirova, human rights activist from the Memorial human rights centre, killed in Chechnya in July 2009. “Europe should not keep silence when human rights are violated in Russia,” Kovalyov said. President of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek in his turn expressed his hope that the prize will encourage human rights activists to continue their fight against lawlessness and protect the values that “we have been promoting – freedom and democracy”.

YABLOKO begins election marathon in Khabarovsk

Press release, December 16, 2009

The Khabarovsk branch of YABLOKO nominated three candidates to run in the election campaign for the regional Legislative Assembly. Yesterday the conference of the regional YABLOKO branch elected three candidates to run in single-mandate electoral districts in Khabarovsk and Amursk.

The first hearing at the Kuntsevsky District Court, Moscow, on election fraud

Press Release, December 15, 2009

Today, on December 15, the Kuntsevsky District Court, Moscow, conducted the first hearing on the case on abrogation of the results of the elections and recount of the votes at electoral district No 2488, where United Russia obtained 303 votes by means of fraud. The only witness – deputy head of the electoral commission – told that he found valid ballots in the pack of invalidated ballots.

This is already the third court out of ten Moscow courts, where YABLOKO tries to cancel the results of the elections of October 11 due to considerable discrepancies between the observers’ protocols and the official data.

The Youth YABLOKO organisation in St.Petersburg conducted an action on the Constitution Day

zaks.ru, December 14, 2009

According to the zaks.ru correspondent, the Youth YABLOKO organisation in St.Petersburg conducted an action devoted to the Constitution Day. Today the activists decided to conduct a theatrical action.

One of the YABLOKO’s activists wearing a mask of RF President Dmitry Medvedev publicly introduced amendments into the articles of the Constitution written on placards.

YABLOKO participated in a rally under the slogan “United Russia Must Leave!”

Press Release, December 13, 2009

A coalition of parties and movements in the Kaliningrad region expressed their dissatisfaction with the work of the Governor of the Kaliningrad Region.

The Constitution Day of December 12 was marked by a rally which gathered 5,000 people. The participants of the rally expressed their negative attitude to the policies of the ruling party and the leaders of the region and of the Russian Federation.

The trigger for public dissatisfaction was raising of the transport tax adopted by the regional parliament. It was an unprecented mass-scale action in the centre of Kaliningrad. All the parties and movements in of the region – the CPRF, Just Russia, the LDPR, YABLOKO, Solidarity, Patriots of Russia, Spravedlivost (Justice) and other – joined in the rally against the progovernmental United Russia party.

Grigory Yavlinsky met with the students of the Evening Party University

Press Release, December 11, 2009

On December 9, 2009, the Evening University of the YABLOKO party organised a meeting for its students with Dr. Grigory Yavlinsky, the founder of the party and member of the Political Committee.

Answering the questions of YABLOKO’s members and advocates on the present economic, political and social situation in Russia, elections, Russia’s relations with other countries, etc. Grigory Yavlinsky noted that a qualitatively new situation developed in Russia after the elections of October 11. “No one believes words about democracy in the country any more after such elections.” Yavlinsky also noted that the policies of the Russian authorities were unsuccessful. “The authorities should realise that they do not have the strength to modernise Russia, this means that the opposition and other citizens get a chance,” Yavlinsky said.

Human rights activists Natalya Estemirova and Maksharip Aushev awarded medals post mortem

ombudsman.gov.ru, December 9, 2009

On December 8, 2009, the award ceremony of the Russian Ombudsman Medal “Hurry Up to Make Good Deeds” took place in Moscow. Human rights activists Natalya Estemirova and Maksharip Aushev awarded medals post mortem.

Both were members of the Expert Council with the Ombudsman of the Russian Federation. Natalya Estemirova had been investigating abdications of civilians, executions and tortures since the First Chechen War. She worked in the Memorial human rights centre. Maksharip Aushev actively engaged in the protection of human rights after his son and nephew abdicated in Grozny in 2007 had been released.

Liberal International Newsletter - Special Edition - Human Rights Day 2009

LI News, Issue 159, November 11, 2009

World Liberal Leaders Commemorate Human Rights Day
Human Rights News from around the world...
LI President: Belarus is the black hole of Europe
Anti-homosexuality bill in Uganda sparks concerns and condemnation
Land grabbing continues to be a serious problem in Cambodia
International community concerns the detention of Chinese democracy activists
YABLOKO continues to fight election results

World Liberal Leaders Commemorate Human Rights Day
On the occasion of Human Rights Day 2009, liberal leaders worldwide share their comments on this auspicious and important day. They include, LI President Hans van Baalen, Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (Finland), Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden Maud Oloffsson, Deputy Prime Minister of Beligum Didier Reynders, ALDE leader Guy Verhofstadt, Mark Rutte (VVD-Netherlands), Ahmed Dogan (MRF-Bulgaria), Tsai Ing-Wen (DPP-Taiwan), Sam Rainsy (Cambodia), Chee Soon Juan (SDP-Singapore), Martin Lee (Hong Kong), U Bo Thaung (NLDLA-Burma), Kamal Nissanka (LP-Sri Lanka), Nick Clegg (LibDems - UK), Alexander Pechtold (D66-Netherlands), Lamija Tanovic (LDP-Bosnia-Herzegovina), Koh Tsu Koon (Gerakan-Malaysia), Sergei Mitrokhin (Yabloko-Russia)

- Sergei Mitrokhin, leader of the YABLOKO party, Russia

The situation with human rights have rapidly aggravated in Russia throughout 2009. This year have seen more murders of human rights activists and lawyers: Natalya Estemirova was murdered in the Caucasus and in Stanislav Markelov and Anastasiya Baburova in Moscow. Violence and threats from unknown persons against activists of non-profit organizations and trade unions turned into a routine method of silencing people. Governments do not give their permission to conduct public protest actions; while unsanctioned protest actions are scattered. Universities in some of Russia’s regions make lists of “politically unreliable students” where they include all politically active students. This affected YABLOKO: our young activists from Penza were accused of extremism and searches were conducted in their homes, while another activist - a student – was expelled from the Omsk University. Two people from YABLOKO’s governing bodies (Vasily Popov from Karelia and Ivan Bolshakov from Moscow) were sentenced and put on probation on fabricated cases, and one person (Anatoly Nechayev, Ulyanovsk) has been still imprisoned also on a fabricated case.

READ MORE

Yabloko continues to fight election results

Liberal International Newsletter, December 10, 2009

In Russia, LI Full Member Yabloko continues its battle against alleged widespread fraud during last month's local elections. The Russian liberal party has filed a suit for cancellation of the results of the voting at two electoral districts in the Moscow area. According to official data ruling party United Russia obtained 1,002 votes more in those districts, than indicated in the protocols given to the observers. At a recent bureau meeting of Yabloko, party leader Sergei Mitrokhin, commented on the flawed outcome of the recent elections and the consequences for democracy in Russia: “It has become clear after voting on October 11 that elections as a legitimate institution which could be trusted by society has been completely ruined in Russia. This means that the democratic project of the country's development initiated in the late 1980s has been completely closed now — and not only by the ruling elite, but by society as well.”

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Court rules out that a thousand of additional votes stuffed in for progovernmental United Russia is not a satisfactory motive for recount of the votes

Press Release, December 9, 2009

On December 8, 2009, the Perovo District Court of Moscow declined YABLOKO’s suit on annulment of the results of the voting at two polling stations in the Veshnyaki area where 1.002 votes had been simply added to the progovernmental United Russia party. At the previous hearings the key witness of YABLOKO – a member of the electoral commission with a casting vote – made a statement that her signature in the official protocol had been faked. Signatures of several other members of the district electoral commission had been either missing or faked...

YABLOKO asked the court to satisfy its claim as the Moscow and the local commissions failed to determine the will of the electorate. However, the judge turned down YABLOKO’s claim. YABLOKO is going to appeal this decision in a superior court.

This has become already the second decision when Moscow local courts were turning down YABLOKO’s suits. On December 3, 2009, the Golovinsky District Court refused to satisfy YABLOKO’s claims in connection with two districts in the Levoberezhny area where United Russia was simply added votes taken from other parties. The next trial will take place in the Kuntsevsky District Court.

YABLOKO has filed claims on 14 polling stations in 10 Moscow districts (see the schedule of trials).

YABLOKO to conduct a manifestation on the Constitution Day

Press Release, December 9, 2009

Manifestation under the slogan “Let Us Together Protect Our Rights” will take place in Ekaterinburg on the Constitution Day, December 12. The action will be organised by the YABLOKO party with support of public and human rights organisations.

Public figures, deputies of the legislative assemblies, human rights activists, writers, artists and musicians will participate in the manifestation. They will hold placards with quotation out of the Constitution.

“We participate all preserving their civil dignity and would like their civil rights to be respected to join us on December 12! Everyone can join us with his or her slogan. This will be a manifestation of those who really love their city and their Motherland,” said Maxim Petlin, the leader of the Sverdlovsk YABLOKO branch.

In support of YABLOKO’s activist Anton Zhebrun

Press Release, December 9, 2009

On December 9, 2009, the Kirov regional branch of YABLOKO, released a statement (signed by Tatyana Naumovich, Chair of YABLOKO’s Kirov branch) in support of YABLOKO’s activist Anton Zhebrun.

The Kirov party branch expresses its indignation on the fact of expelling Anton Zhebrun, activist of the Youth YABLOKO, from the Omsk State University under a faked pretext and considers such actions of Vladimir Strunin, the University rector, against YABLOKO’s member a political persecution.

This is a sad fact. It took place in the university; whereas the very word “university” is associated with academic freedom and the freedom of speech – freedom to ask, freedom to find truth on any phenomena and views, regardless of the fact whether such points of view hurt any officials or not. The notion of academic freedom is incompatible with the making political views a pretext for expelling from the university.

Environmentally unfriendly bulbs versus nuclear power stations?

Acad.Alexei Yablokov’s blog at the Echo Moskvi web-site

December 7, 2009

I was wondering why our government suddenly made a complete ban on incandescent electric bulbs its prime concern (Law of the RF No 261-FZ “On Energy Saving and Raising of Energy Efficiency and on Introduction of Changes into Some Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation” of November 23, 2009).

And recently I have heard the news that Europe has been closing production of incandescent electric lamps of the first generation (luminescent, with mercury) – the very lamps that have to replace our incandescent electric bulbs. And these environmentally unfriendly productions are offered cheaply to those who would be eager to buy them. Let us make a simple calculation...

YABLOKO’s Political Committee: Russian state acts like an irresponsible business corporation conducting anti-environmental policies

Press Release, December 5, 2009

On December 5, 2009, YABLOKO’s Political Committee discussed the ecological policy of the government. The key report was made by Academician Alexei Yablokov, leader of the Green Russia faction. After a discussion the Committee adopted resolution “On the Anti-Environmental Policies of the Russian Authorities”.

On opening of the meeting the Political Committee commemorated the victims of the Nevsky Express railroad crash and the victims of the Perm nightclub fire by a one-minute silence.

Alexei Yablokov reported on a bad environmental situation in Russia dwelling on the most acute ecological problems and offered ways of their solution. According to the World Health Organisation, 493,000 people die annually in Russia because of ecological problems. Thus, life expectancy for men is only 59 years, which is 15 – 18 years less than in the USA and Japan. And it is even 3 – 4 years lower in the zones of environmental pollution (about 14% of the territory of the country).

Sergei Mitrokhin: “The democratic project of the country’s development is closed”

Press Release, November 30, 2009

On Saturday, November 29, 2009, a meeting of YABLOKO’s Bureau took place in Moscow. The Bureau adopted decisions on working over persuading the government not to abolish indexation of unemployment benefits, return gratuitous public transport tickets for pensioners of the Moscow Region and creation of nature reserve Utrish. The Bureau also heard the reports of the Human Rights and the Gender factions of the party.

The meeting was opened by party Chair Sergei Mitrokhin who made a report on the political situation in Russia. “It has become clear after voting on October 11 that elections as a legitimate institution that could be trusted by the society is completely ruined in Russia. This means that the democratic project of the country’s development initiated in the late 1980s has been completely closed now – and not only by the ruling elite, but by the society as well,” Mitrokhin said. According to Mitrokhin, the forthcoming YABLOKO’s congress (that will take place in December 2009) has to formulate the basis of a new democratic project for Russia.

Lecture of the Evening Party University “The History of the Party: Changes in the By-Laws and Governing Bodies. The Structure and Political Goals”

Press Release, November 26, 2009

On November 25, 2009, another lecture of the Evening Party University took place. Boris Misnik, Coordinator and member of the Political Committee of the YABLOKO party, deputy of the State Duma of the second convocation and member of YABLOKO since its formation, delivered a lecture on the history of the party, changes in its by-laws and governing bodies. The audience were members and advocates of YABLOKO...

The Evening Party University will maintain its work: on December 9 a meeting with Professor of the Higher School of Economics, member of YABLOKO’s Political Committee and Chair of the party in 1993-2008 Dr. Grigory Yavlinsky will take place.

A trial on the fraud at the electoral districts where over 1,000 votes were stuffed for the United Russia party began

Press Release, November 26, 2009

On November 24, 2009, the Perovo District Court of Moscow examined the claim submitted by the YABLOKO party on abrogation of the results of elections to the deputies of the Moscow City Duma at electoral districts No 887 and 888. According to the official results, the progovernmental United Russia party obtained 1,002 votes more at these districts than it was indicated in the signed copies of the protocols given to the observers at these polling stations.

The territorial electoral commission Veshnyaki submitted to the court its opinion on YABLOKO’s suit. In particular V.Stepanova, the Chair of the said territorial commission, stated that the protocols given to the observers can not serve written evidence, as they had been filed with violation of the rules (the date and time of signing were missing).

However, YABLOKO’s lawyers noted that the liability for violation of the rules of filing protocols lies on the official who signs the protocol...

Three members of the YABLOKO party are elected co-chairmen of the human rights organisation

Press Release, November 25, 2009

Alexander Goncharenko, Valery Borschyov and Andrei Babushkin became co-chairs of the new human rights organisation – the Association of Independent Observers. The foundation conference of the human right organisation which elected five chairpersons took place in Kirov.

Thus, the heads of the Association will be Ludmila Alexeyeva, Chair of the Moscow Helsinki Group, Lev Ponomaryov, head of the For the Human Rights movement and three YABLOKO’s activists – Vlary Borschyov, member of the party Bureau, Andrei Babushkin, Deputy Chair of he Moscow YABLOKO and Alexander Gontcharenko, Chairman of the Altai YABLOKO branch...

United Russia determined its ideology

By Galina Mikhalyova, Executive Secretary of YABLOKO’s Political Committee
kommentarii.ru, November 25, 2009

The congress of the United Russia party resembles the congresses of the communist party of the Soviet Union of the Brezhnev’s stagnation period, the present United Russia congress lacked only young pioneers saluting their elder comrades and the statue of the Lenin. The key thing which is common between the two congresses is their absurdity, an obvious discrepancy between the declared goals and the reality. The [proclaimed] “conservative modernisation” ideologeme is something like “dry water”...

Everything except proper elections took place on a single election day October 11, 2009

Press release, November 24, 2009

On November 18, 2009, the interior of the Moscow Region initiated a round table talk “The results of elections to local self-government and municipal entities of the Moscow Region and the role of political parties and public organisations in the formation of civil society and counteraction to political extremism”.

Representatives of all political parties and a number of public organisations participated in the round table. The YABLOKO party was represented by Deputy Chair of the Moscow Region branch of the party Alexander Gunko.

Almost all the participants of the round table marked a high level of security provision at the past elections in the Moscow Region.

“All was organised well on October 11. The police ensured order. The only thing which was lacking was the elections,” Gunko said...

Nikolai Rybakov asks to conduct an audit how Governor of St.Petersburg Valentina Matviyenko could be elected to the Supreme Council of the United Russia party

Press release, November 24, 2009

Deputy Chairman of St.Petersburg YABLOKO branch Nikolai Rybakov applied to Public Prosecutor General Yuri Chaika and Minister of Justice Alexander Konovalov in connection with election of Governor of St.Petersburg Valentina Matviyenko to the Supreme Council of the United Russia party.

According to Rybakov, Valentina Matviyenko joined United Russia only on November 20, 2009, and could not be elected to the Supreme Council of this party, as in accordance with item 7.3.2 of the By-laws of this party, Council members should have party record of at least one year to be elected into the Council...

United Russia congress took place in St.Petersburg in the past weekend. The congress elected St.Petersburg Governor Valentina Matviyenko (who had joined United Russia a day before the congress) to the Supreme Council of this party...

Meeting of the Council for Consolidation of Women’s Movement in YABLOKO

Press release, November 20, 2009

A meeting of the Council for Consolidation of Women’s Movement joining together a number of important interregional and nation-wide women’s organisations took place on November 19, 2009.

The meeting discussed the events to be conducted in the short term, where the Council and most of its members will take part.

The most important events are as follows:

- Round table discussion in the Public Chamber devoted to the 30th anniversary of the Convention of the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (November 25);
- Conference of the Orthodox Women “Women’s Mission in the Spiritual and Moral Development of the Fatherland” with participation of the Patriarch of Russia (December 3-4, Moscow)...

European Liberals' congress adopts urgent resolutions on Russia’s elections on October 11

Press release, November 20, 2009

Today the congress of the European Liberal Democrat and Reformers Party (ELDR) joining together European liberal parties has unanimously and without objections adopted an urgent resolution on Russia’s elections submitted by YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin.

The ELDR congress is taking place in Barcelona, Catalonia, on November 19-20. Over 600 delegates from all the European countries participate in the Congress. The YABLOKO party which has been ELDR member since 2006 is represented by Sergei Mitrokhin.

The resolution states that the elections that took place in Russia on October 11, 2009, “demonstrated an unprecedented scope of falsification of results of the voting and violations of the law confirmed by observers from all the political parties, except the ruling party, and mass media”.

ELDR Congress 2009
19th-20th November, Barcelona, Catalonia

URGENCY RESOLUTION submitted by YABLOKO

The ELDR congress convening in Barcelona on November 19-20, 2009,

Observes that:
- The elections that took place in Russia on October 11, 2009, demonstrated an unprecedented scope of falsification of results of the voting and violations of the law confirmed by observers from all the political parties, except the ruling party, and mass media.

States that:
- ELDR will closely observe the development of the situation with lawsuits and complaints on election fraud.

Calls on:
The Russian authorities to:
- conduct a full inspection of candidates and parties’ complaints, and the evidence of election fraud published by the media, and take urgent remedy measures up to declaring the elections void;
- observe democratic standards and Russia’s obligations under its membership in the OSCE and in the Council of Europe on ensuring free and fair elections;
- ensure free and equal conditions for all political parties and candidates and maximum public control over elections and voting.

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YABLOKO forwarded the first ten claims in connection with election fraud to courts

Press release, November 18, 2009

Moscow district courts file the first ten lawsuits in connection with YABLOKO’s claims that results of the voting at the Moscow City Duma election should be cancelled at 14 election districts.

If YABLOKO wins the cases, the courts will oblige the territorial electoral commissions to recount the votes.

YABLOKO’s claims base on discrepancies between the copies of the protocols of votings obtained by the observers and the official results of the voting.

The Moscow YABLOKO web-site has published data indicating which court will examine the exact type of falsification registered at a definite polling station.

Youth YABLOKO pickets Public Prosecutor General's office demanding to release YABLOKO’s activist

Press release, November 18, 2009

Youth YABLOKO is now picketing Public Prosecutor General's office in Moscow (at the address Bolshaya Dmitrovka, 15a) demanding to release 26 year-old Vladimir Volkov, activist of the Penza branch of the party, detained for 48 hours on suspicion of an arson of United Russia’s office in Penza.

Youth YABLOKO activists hold a placard “Free activist of the Penza branch of YABLOKO Vladimir Volkov”. The police have been checking the activists’ documents, however, have not obstructed the picket yet.

International Federation of Liberal Youth condemned elections fraud in Russia

Special for YABLOKO’s web-site by Ksenia Vakhrusheva, November 17, 2009

Alexander Gudimov, President of the St.Petersburg branch of the Youth YABLOKO and Ksenia Vakhrusheva, International Officer of the St.Petersburg branch of the Youth YABLOKO, took part in the annual General Assembly of the International Federation of Liberal Youth, held on 12-15 November in the Hague, the Netherlands. The GA joined together over130 young liberals from 35 countries, who are ready to stand for liberal values in there home countries and in the world, who shared their experience
The key points of the agenda were elections of the new executive board, voting for amendments to the Manifesto and resolutions... On the initiative of Youth Yabloko the General Assembly developed and adopted a resolution on condemning elections fraud in Russia. The resolution was approved by a majority.

YABLOKO’s activist detained for 48 hours on suspicion of arson of the United Russia office in Penza

Press release, November 17, 2009

Activist of the Youth YABLOKO Vladimir Volkov was detained for 48 hours of arson of the United Russia office in Penza. Earlier his flat had been searched.

Today on November 17, 2009, at 9.00 a.m. several persons who told that they were interior officers came to Volkov’s flat where he lives with his parents. They asked Volkov to come with them, explaining that his lawyer could come to the interior department where they all would “talk”.

However, until 2 p.m. neither his parents, nor the lawyer, nor even investigator Ye.Pluzhnikova had no information where Volkov was.

The Investigation Committee under Public Prosecutor’s Office to investigate the election fraud of 2007

Press release, November 16, 2009

Today YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin forwarded his statement of claim to the Investigation Committee under Public Prosecutor’s Office on the crime in connection with election fraud in 2007.

YABLOKO party has recently received 56 bulletins each labeled by a special sign (a mark) and stamped by electoral commission 128 of Tagansky District, Moscow.

“Probably these bulletins were prepared for stuffing into ballot boxes,” runs the statement.

It should be also noted that the indicated electoral district demonstrated in 2007 an abnormally high voter turn out and abnormally high percentage of votes cast for the progovernmental United Russia party.

Sergei Mitrokhin and the camera crew of the RenTV channel detained while trying to get to the Kurkino VIP village

Press release, November 16, 2009

Sergei Mitrokhin and the camera crew of the RenTV channel have been detained by the security of the Kurkino VIP village by the Valley of the Skhodnya River natural reserve. The security have detained the politician and the journalists and have called the police.

Sergei Mitorkhin and the camera crew of the RenTV channel went to the Valley of the Skhodnya River natural reserve (where an unknown VIP village was built on the permission of the ex-head of the North-Western District of Moscow Viktor Kozlov) so that to study the situation with returning of the plot unlawfully granted to General Major of the interior Anatoli Petukhov. On November 5, 2009, the Moscow City Court confirmed the decision of the Tushino District Court on abuse of authority by Kozlov. This motion envisages retrieval of this plot amounting to 3,688 sq m, also court rulings on other plots of the natural reserve unlawfully given for construction of cottages have to appear shortly.

On political persecution of human rights organisations in Moscow

Statement of the YABLOKO party, November 13, 2009

The Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO expresses its concern in view of refusal of the Moscow authorities to prolong contracts on the office premises rent with the Moscow Helsinki Group and For the Human Rights Movement.

A strange coincidence of adopting such decisions on the two most renowned human rights organisations that rent offices in different places of the city is indicative of political motivation of the city heads.

Thus, a new technology has been used against civil society. Human rights organisations are simply ousted out of the offices in the streets under invented pretexts.

The 56th Congress of the Liberal International. Urgency resolution submitted by YABLOKO

The 56th Congress of the LIberal Internatioanl convening in Cairo...

Calls on:
The Russian authorities to:
- conduct a full inspection of the complaints of the actions (or negligence) of election commissions in all the Russian Federation subjects, all the evidence of fraud published by the mass media and punish all those guilty of election fraud, as well as take urgent remedy measures, if needed, declaring the elections void;
- observe Russia’s obligations under its membership in the OSCE and in the Council of
Europe on ensuring free and fair elections in the country;
- form new electoral commissions ensuring that representatives from all of Russia's political parties should have equal participation to cast a vote;
- ensure free and equal conditions for all the political parties and candidates, as well as maximum public control over elections and voting.

read more

YABLOKO assesses President’s Address to the Federal Assembly as controversial

Press release, November 12, 2009

The YABLOKO party shares President’s call to modernization on the basis of democratic values, however, YABLOKO does not see any signs of the real change of the political course towards the indicated goals. Such a statement was made by YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin.
“We welcome the President’s statement that Russia’s modernization should be carried out on the basis of democratic values and free development of individuals. At the same time, the Address does not show a link between modernization and democracy,” Mitrokhin said.
Mitrokhin also added that absence of a tough assessment of falsifications at the regional elections on October 11 demonstrated this too well.
According to YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin, “voting and fraud of elections of October 11 should become one of the key topics of Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly.”

YABLOKO: The key topic of Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly should be election fraud

Press release, November 12, 2009

According to YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin, “voting and fraud of elections of October 11 should become one of the key topics of Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly.”

“Obvious falsification of the results of the voting on October 11 showed to the Russian society and the entire world that the institute of democratic elections has been virtually demolished in the country,” Mitrokhin added.

Mitrokhin thinks that “in such a situation the President should propose the measures targeted at ensuring of honest elections.”

YABLOKO’s leader also thinks that the President should immediately introduce into the State Duma amendments containing the following provisions...

Address of the YABLOKO party to President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev

Political Committee of the Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO

October 9, 2009

Adopted by the Political Committee of the Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO. Resolution No 16 of September 26, 2009.

Respected Dmitry Anatolyevich,

The Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO at meeting of its Political Committee taking place on September 26, 2009, adopted a decision to respond to your invitation to a discussion and address you on the problems touched upon in your article “Forward, Russia!” Our view, as well as yours, can not claim being absolutely complete and inarguable, however, our long-term experience make us express our views in an explicit from, probably, partially reiterating what we have been stating earlier.

On provocation of the United Russia against YABLOKO’s activists

Statement of the YABLOKO party, November 10, 2009

The YABLOKO party expresses its categorical protest in connection with provocations and acts of pressure and mobbing of the party branches in a number of regions.

On November 8, 2009, there was a fire in the regional branch of the United Russia party in Penza. According to preliminary information of the interior, unknown persons threw flame fluid in the window.

There events became a motive to political mobbing of activists from oppositional parties and movements by the United Russia at participation of the interior.

At night on the 8th of October unlawful searches in the homes of YABLOKO members and allies took place. Seven activists were victims of lawlessness. Notebooks, party and publicistic materials, other things having no relation to the arson were confiscated.

The YABLOKO party considers statements of the United Russia leaders and actions of the interior, as well as their accusations in the address of opposition parties in extremism as persecution of the dissenting and intimidation of politically active citizens.

The Moscow City Court ruled that granting a plot of land to the police top official in the nature reserve park was unlawful

Press release, November 10, 2009

On November 5, 2009, the Moscow City Court left in force the decision of the Tushino District Court regarding abuse of rank by the dismissed head of the North-Western Administrative District of Moscow Viktor Kozlov, who unlawfully granted 3,688 sq.m of land in the natural preservation zone of the Valley of the Skhodnya River Park for lease to the ex-top officer of the interior General Major Anatoly Petukhov.

According to the ruling of the court, the plot of land granted on unlawful basis Petukhov has to be retrieved. The decision is final and binding.

Aggressive nationalism endangers Russia

Statement by the Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO, November 4, 2009

The 4th of November is officially announced the Day of National Unity in Russia. However, it is this day when the streets of Russian cities turn into arena for skin-heads, Nazis and racists provoking ethnic hatred. “Russian Marches” conducted on permission of local authorities and multiple unsanctioned nationalists’ actions will take place in 16 Russian cities.

According to the analytical centre SOVA, 50 people died and 280 people were wounded due to xenophobia since January 2009.

The YABLOKO party states that provoking of ethnic hatred, as well as assistance in the organisation of nationalists’ actions, is prone of very serious consequences, including shedding of blood and disintegration of the country.

Liberals discussed the world

Sergei Mitrokhin’s blog at the Echo Moskvi web-site, November 3, 2009

The 56th Congress of the Liberal International (LI) where I took part, finished its work on Saturday night in Cairo.

The congress adopted basic resolution World Today, which, in my view is a very interesting document. It provides liberal assessment of the situation in different countries and regions of the world.

In terms of examples:

The congress approved election of Barack Obama noting that he had won under the slogans of “active civil position, tolerance, dialogue, rights of individuals, freedom and democracy”.

[The congress also noted that] Honduras had been “going through a period of serious disturbances provoked by the violation of its Constitution by the President of the Republic”.

The Sixth Anti-Hatred March took place in St.Petersburg

Press release, November 2, 2009

The Sixth Anti-Hatred March in memory of Nikolai Giryenko took place in St.Petersburg
on October 31, 2009.

Representatives from the YABLOKO and the Right Cause party, Solidarity and Oborona (Defence) movements, Soldiers’ Mothers (St.Petersburg branch), Memorial, the Social-Democratic Youth Union, St.Petersburg Council for Protection of Human Rights, activists of the Vikhod (the Way Out) organisation, anarchists and ordinary citizens concerned by the growth of xenophobia in the society participated in the march. The march joined together over 500 people.

Liberal International accused the Russian authorities in election fraud on October 11, 2009

Press release, November 1, 2009

The 56th congress of the Liberal International, international organisation of liberals and liberal parties, finished its work yesterday night.

The congress adopted basic resolution World Today reflecting liberal assessment of situation in different countries and regions of the world.
Assessing the situation in Russia the congress noted that “the legislation which has extended the term of the Russian Presidency from four to six years, going against the basic democratic rule of governmental change and leading to the growth of bureaucratic supremacy and corruption in Russia”.

On the initiative of Sergei Mitrokhin, YABLOKO’s delegate at the congress, the resolution also expressed concern about the ongoing trend towards abolishing of honest and fair elections, as well as curbing of human rights in Russia”.

Moscow pays tribute to the victims of political reprisals

Press release, October 29, 2009

Today on October 29, 2009, on the eve of the Victims of Political Reprisals Memory Day the action Returning of the Names has started in Moscow. Moscovites pay tribute to the victims of the Great Terror by the Solovetsky Stone at Lubyanka Square. The participants of the rally read out loud the lists of the killed with the names, professions and the execution date.

YABLOKO’s leaders deputy head of the Moscow YABLOKO Eugeni Bunimovich, members of Political Council Grigory Yavlinsky, Viktor Sheinis, Sergei Ivanenko and Boris Misnik, leader of the Green Russia faction and member of the Political Committee Alexei Yablokov, members of YABLOKO’s Bureau Valery Borschyov and Valery Goryachev, head of the gender faction Galina Mikhalyova, leaders of the Youth YABLOKO and party activists also participated in the action.

On urgent ratification of Protocol 6 to the European Convention on Human Rights

Statement by the Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO, October 28, 2009

Possible return of the death penalty to Russia’s law enforcement practices is the urgent issue of Russia’s political agenda today.

On April 16, 1997, Russia, within the framework of its obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights signed and ratified in 1996, signed Protocol 6 envisaging abolishment of the death penalty in time of peace. Up to now the Protocol has not been ratified by the State Duma (Ed. Russian parliament). Also on February 2, 1999, the Constitutional Court ruled out that the death penalty can not be imposed by [Russia’s] courts until jury courts in which competence lays the imposing of capital punishment are introduced in all the regions of the Russian Federation...

The Bureau of the YABLOKO party considers it necessary that the State Duma should urgently ratify Protocol 6 to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms concerning the abolition of the death penalty.

The YABLOKO party calls to stop criminal persecutions against human rights activist Oleg Orlov

Statement by the Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO, October 27, 2009

The YABLOKO party calls to stop criminal persecutions against Oleg Orlov, head of the Memorial human rights centre, that was launched on the complaint of President of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov. We presume that there are no grounds for opening of a criminal case against Oleg Orlov.

On the opposite, we assess some of the statements made by Ramzan Kadyrov as open pressure on the human rights organisation and a threat against its representatives: President of Chechnya called Memorial an organisation “created for disruption of Russia”, as well as stated that he did not consider Memorial’s staff being patriots of Russia and he even loathed talking to them.

The Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO expresses its moral support to Oleg Orlov.

Five parties should have got places in the Moscow City Duma! The real election results.

Novaya Gazeta, October 24, 2009

Here comes information from the polling stations where Dmitry Medvedev, Vladimir Putin and [Mayor of Moscow] Yuri Luzhkov voted:

United Russia — 36,7%; CPRF —28,4%; YABLOKO — 14,9%; Just Russia — 9,2%; LDPR — 6%

What the electoral commissions shall do now?! Internet is full of gags and jokes and this is the evidence of the mental health of the nation. However, jokes end sooner of later. In the end Russia’s future is in stake. The stage of a saving sense of humour will end in a year or two. Then the people will either oust the bosses who lost their honour or vise versa this team will drive the people to a “stall”. The latter is more likely: such people never give up power voluntary, moreover with such a load of unlawful acts on their back...

Congratulations to Russian human rights activists on winning the Sakharov Prize

From Chairman of the YABLOKO party
October 26, 2009
The Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO congratulates Ludmila Alexeyeva, Sergei Kovalyov and Oleg Orlov on receiving the Sakharov prize.

It is hard to find more deserving people for this prize. Your names, as well as the names Memorial and the Moscow Helsinki Group have already become symbols associated with fight for human rights, protection of human dignity, for the country respecting its citizens and respected by the citizens.

EU prize highlights Russia murders of rights workers

euobserver.com, October 22, 2009

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Moscow-based NGO Memorial has walked away with the EU's 2009 Sakharov prize for freedom of thought after a bloody year for human rights activists in Russia.

"We hope to contribute to ending the circle of fear and violence surrounding human rights defenders in the Russian Federation," European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek said while announcing the decision on Thursday (22 October).

The Pole and former anti-Communist campaigner added that he felt "personal satisfaction" over the award as "a man who comes from Solidarity and who saw Poland fighting for truth and freedom, which it finally won in the 1980s."

Three Memorial staff, Oleg Orlov, Sergei Kovalev and Lyudmila Alexeyeva, will be invited to collect the prize, which comes with a ˆ50,000 cheque, at the EU parliament on 16 December.

READ MORE

Moscow’s Carousel Elections

The Moscow Times, October 23, 2009

By Sergei Mitrokhin
Sergei Mitrokhin, who served as a State Duma deputy from 1994 to 2003 and a Moscow City Duma deputy from 2005 to 2009, is chairman of the Yabloko party.

The level of falsifications in the Oct. 11 Moscow City Duma elections was unprecedented in modern Russian history. Officials did everything in their power to prevent opposition candidates from registering, and Yabloko was obstructed by local authorities and siloviki structures as early on as the signature collection stage.

On Oct. 10, the eve of the elections, almost every electoral district had run out of ballots. According to Yabloko representatives, the Strogino election committee handed out a total of only 149 ballots for the entire district. Instead, we witnessed the so-called “carousel” system ­ busloads of passengers who travel from district to district to cast their votes repeatedly.

READ MORE

YABLOKO demands recounting of the votes at all the electoral districts

Press release, October 23, 2009

16 votes cast for the YABLOKO party were detected during recounting of the votes at polling station No 192.

Boris Moiseyev, member of the Moscow Electoral Commission from the YABLOKO party said that all YABLOKO’s bulletins were found in the pile of bulletins cast for the communist party. Also thee bulletins cast for LDPR and one for the Patriots of Russia were also found in that pile. According to official data, these parties also did not get a single vote at the said polling station.

Court rules out that the results of the voting at the Moscow City Duma election at polling station No 192 are void

Press release, October 22, 2009

The Khamovniki District Moscow Court annulled the decision of the electoral commission of polling station No 192 in Moscow on the results of the voting and obliged the Territorial Electoral Commission of the Khamovniki District to recount the votes.

YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin and his family cast their votes for the YABLOKO party at the said polling station, however, according to the protocol of the electoral commission not a single vote was given for the party at the polling station. Sergei Mitrokhin who participated in the trial earlier today, expressed his hope that “such decisions will be adopted regarding all the polling stations where discrepancies between the official protocols and the protocols handed to observes were found, as well as regarding those polling stations where final protocols were drawn with multiple violations”.

On non-recognition of the results of the elections of October 11, 2009, and the need to investigate cases of franchise violations

Statement of the Bureau of the Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO, October 19, 2009

Adopted by the party Bureau on October 17, 2009

An obvious fraud of the results of the voting on October 11, 2009, showed to the Russian society and the entire world that the institute of democratic elections was virtually demolished in Russia.

Instead of lawful elections the country saw that the law was defeated by a group of persons who used their administrative and political resource for illegitimate seizure of power.

Total administrative pressure and mass-scale fraud probed and developed during previous election cycles reached unprecedented scope. Violations in Moscow, the Moscow region, Astrakhan and Derbent were particularly mass-scale, open and cynical.

It was the first time that electoral commissions refused to register parties and candidates in the election race, thus restricting the choice for the citizens under insignificant and often completely unlawful cavil. For the first time the capacity of state law-enforcement agencies was used during collection of signatures and campaigning for pressing candidates and observers, moreover representatives of these agencies directly participated in the fraud.

Observers from different political parties at the elections registered about 20 types of grave systematic and mass-scale violations testifying of an overall election fraud.

None of the figures on the votes given for any of the political parties participating in the elections of October 11, 2009, can be recognized as trustworthy.

Electoral Commission steals votes of YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin and his family

Press release, October 16, 2009

The protocol of voting of local electoral commission No 192 of Khamovniki district, Moscow, showed that the electorate did not give a single vote for YABLOKO at the polling station where Sergei Mitrokhin and his family voted. Moreover, the commission reported on the absence of any invalid or spoilt bulletins.

The electoral commission of the polling station gave the breakdown of the total of 1,020 bulletins as follows: United Russia obtained 904 votes, CPRF – 87 votes and Just Russia – 29 votes. In accordance with the protocol, LDPR, Patriots of Russia and YABLOKO did not get a single vote (see a scanned copy of the protocol at our web-site). These data were also registered at the Moscow Electoral Commission web-site.

The signed copy of the protocol which was made available to YABLOKO was printed specially for electronic polling boxes, however, Sergei Mitrokhin and his family put their ballots into a wooden box (see the photograph at our web-site).

“Maybe the heads of this electoral commission intend to show that I do not exist either as a voter or as a citizen,” Sergei Mitrokhin commented on the situation. “I have to disappoint them, YABLOKO does exist and moreover is able to turn to the law-enforcement bodies for punishment of the criminals faking the elections,” he said.

Sergei Mitrokhin also noted that YABLOKO received 18% at the polling station where Prime Minister Vladimir Putin voted. “Naturally, no one dared to falsify anything there, however, these two Moscow districts hardly differ as of the structure of their electorate,” Mitrokhin added.

On Iran’s Nuclear Problem

Resolution by the Political Committee of the YABLOKO party. October 6, 2009

The Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO expresses its deep concern in view of the new aggravation of the situation around Iran’s nuclear problem.
A secret construction of the second Iran’s uranium enrichment plant, which the world public has learned about, shows that Teheran continues its course towards challenging the UN, as well as regional and global security. New tests of ballistic missiles, including medium-range Shahab-3, have shifted the crisis into a dangerous phase...

Iran’s procession of nuclear weapons presents considerable threats for the national interests of Russia, the USA, the EU countries and the entire civilised world. Russia can not allow being turned into a target of nuclear blackmail from another neighbouring state...

The Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO thinks that it is high time for Russia to take a principled position, stop lulling itself about Iran’s intentions, as well as break Iran’s tactics of playing on discrepancies between the great superpowers and using Russia in its own interests contradicting to the international security goals...

Dissenting Opinion of members of the Moscow Electoral Commission from the YABLOKO and the CPRF parties

October 15, 2009

We are expressing our dissenting opinion with the results of the election to the Moscow City Duma in the Moscow electoral district. Multiple violations detected during voting and calculation of the votes make it impossible to assess the results of the election.

The following violations were detected during voting:
- multiple cases of groundless disqualification of members of electoral commissions and groundless exemption of observers representing oppositional parties from the polling stations;
- infringement of candidates’ rights, in particular, ousting them from the polling stations and not letting them to observe calculation of the votes;
- faking of voters’ signatures and unlawful distribution of bulletins;
- “throwing-in” of bulletins, voting by persons not included into the voters lists;
- refusal of electoral commissions to deal with complaints (for example, electoral commissions from polling stations No 40, 123, 127, 291, 487,762, 869, 1306, 1533, 1701, 1919, 1928, 2005);

YABLOKO refuses to recognize the results of the Moscow City Duma election

Press Release, October 14, 2009

Valery Goryachev, member of the Moscow Electoral Commission with a casting vote from the YABLOKO party, refused to recognize the results of the Moscow City Duma election. He and his colleague in the Moscow Electoral Commission Dmitry Yezhevsky (from the CPRF) have been preparing their dissenting opinion to the final protocol they must sign anyway in accordance with the law.

On October 14, the meeting of the Moscow Electoral Commission recognized the Sunday election to the Moscow City Duma and confirmed the results of the voting. Representative from the LDPR party Ivan Petrov refused to sign the final protocol, thus, loosing the right to his dissenting opinion.

According to Goryachev, such non-recognition of the election is conditioned by a “huge number of violations in drawing the results of the voting by the inferior commissions, first of all, by the local commissions at the polling stations.” Goryachev also added that YABLOKO’s observers reported considerable discrepancies between the prime protocols of the local commissions and the final protocol of the Moscow Electoral Commission.

Sergei Mitrokhin about the Moscow City Duma election in his blog

Press Release, October 14, 2009

Leader of the YABLOKO party Sergei Mitrokhin has summed up the results of the Moscow City Duma election in his blog at the Echo Moskvi radio station web-site.

“Proceeding from a number of direct and indirect data, we can say that YABLOKO obtained about 12% of the votes. Fraud bit almost two thirds of our votes,” Mitrokhin writes.

Answering the question “who is to blame for the fraud” YABLOKO’s leader singles out three groups: “the passive protesting majority allowing the authorities to persuade them that ‘everything has been already decided for us’”; propagandists of the elections boycott called ‘a media-Solidarity batch’ by Mitrokhin; and the authorities.

“Our ultra-radicals are even unable to understand that they are helping the authorities to avoid anything resembling an ‘orange revolution’”. As only those who participated in the election go into the streets to protesting against a deceit,” Mitrokhin says.

According to Mitrokhin, YABLOKO will take another way. “If 100% of the citizens come to the elections, they will inevitably sweep away the ballot-riggers either at the election or at the Red Square after the fraud”, runs the blog.

YABLOKO participated in the municipal elections in ten Russia’s regions

Press Release, October 13, 2009

October 11 was a single voting day in many Russian Federation subjects where regional and municipal elections took place. The YABLOKO party participated in the municipal elections in ten Russia’s regions showing very good results in some of the regions.

YABLOKO’s candidate V.Pshenichnikov won (30.37%) at the election of the Polevsky District Duma, Sverdlovsk region. Another party candidate A.Dulenkov came second in the election race to the Council of Deputies in Golitsino, the Moscow region, obtaining 30.36%.

YABLOKO also demonstrated good results at the elections in Ingushetia. About 30% (preliminary results) of the residents in the Bert-Yurt settlement and about 20% in the Ekazhevo settlement voted for the YABLOKO party list. The party was also a success at the municipal election in the Malgobek city.

Member of YABLOKO A.Ledebev came third with 25.78% of the votes at the election to the Council of Deputes of Vlasovskoye, the Leningrad region.

YABLOKO’s candidates came second after United Russia candidates at the elections of heads of rural settlements in Krivandinskoye and Misheronsky rural settlements, Shatura district, the Moscow region.

An illustration of election fraud (Moscow City Duma election, October 11, 2009)

From the Live Journal of Igor Yakovlev, Press Secretary of the YABLOKO party, October 12, 2009

Electoral district No 1702, Danilovsky district, Moscow,

All who has seen election campaigns of the recent years mark an unbelievable scope of fraud at yesterday’s election (Moscow City Duma election on October 11, 2009).

Here comes only one example of election fraud...

United Russia simply “got” 550 additional votes from nowhere. 550 is a beautiful figure.

See the screenshots of the protocols below. The first screenshot represents the protocol of the Moscow Electoral Commission.

The second screenshot is the protocol obtained by the observer.

Violations at the Moscow City Duma elections

ELDR, European Liberal Democrats, October 12, 2009

... The BBC and other international media outlets reported about the concern that such violations of democratic principles happened also elsewhere across Russia.

ELDR supports the strong commitment of its democratic member parties Yabloko and the People’s Democratic Union in their strenuous resistance in defense of transparency and democracy in Russia.
ELDR commits itself for raising European awareness around the democratic character of elections in Russia in general, and in particular in the Moscow city Duma elections in order to examine closer the position of the Russian observers and the unclear results.

At the ELDR Congress in Barcelona on 19 and 20 November, European Liberal Democrats will discuss a resolution on the topic of citizen’s access to the electoral system in Russia.

read more at the ELDR web-site

Violations at the Moscow City Duma elections

Press Release, October 12, 2009

The Moscow Duma elections saw multiple violations despite the reports of the Moscow Electoral Commission that “no grave violations” were registered during this election.

Thus, on the threashold of the election day, the Moscow Electoral Commission had suddenly “run out of absentee voting certificates”. This situation was observed in Otradnoye, Basmanniy, Beskudnikovo, Strogino, Northern Tushino.

On the election day, October 11, observers from the YABLOKO party were not allowed to implement their function. Thus, YABLOKO’s activist Semyon Burd was deported from voting station No 118 (Presnya) by force. The local electoral commission gave Burd its decision prohibiting him to observe the counting of votes. Such a decision was adopted in violation of the Election Code. In Meschansky district YABLOKO’s observers were deported from the voting station under a pretext that the stamps on their documents did not overlap Sergei Mitrokhin’s signature.

An hour before expiration of the time of voting (from 7 to 8 p.m.)YABLOKO received a storm of telephone calls from the worried voters. The voters coming to the voting stations between 7 and 8p.m. found out that “someone” had already voted on their behalf.

Also coaches full of “voters” (the so-called merry-go-round) were commuting from one electoral district to another. The same “passengers” of such coachers voted at several districts several times. Such coaches were observed at Begovaya, Mariyna Roscha, Northern Medvedkovo, Arbat, Presnya and some other districts...

Grigory Yavlinsky: Vote for the people you know, people you can turn for help

Grigory Yavlinsky’s interview to the Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper, October 8, 2009

Grigory Yavlinsky has been keeping silent for 18 months. He neither gave interviews, nor made prognoses and assessments, however, he did not leave politics. Political scientists and journalists forecasted top posts for him and speculated about his contacts with President Medvedev, discussed prospects of his return to the post of YABLOKO’s leader. But he kept silent.Today MK publishes his first after a long period interview with Grigory Yavlinsky.

MK: A month and a half ago you met with President Medvedev. What were you talking about?

Yavlinsky: We discussed political problems, the economic crisis and the danger of social protests.

MK: And the President invited you so that to discuss their probability?

Yavlinsky: I began the discussion of the protests, as I think this very important. However, I think that the protest will not take shape of mass-scale actions. Now we may face disturbances at the VAZ [automobile] plant, but this is a special story. In fact people in Russia do not protest when they are in dire straits. This takes a different form in our country. Our protest is criminalization of behavioral patterns of the population on a mass-scale level. People do not hope to influence the authorities, and therefore they try to solve their problems as they can – in criminal ways.

MK: And what was President’s reaction in face of such prospects?

Rally in memory of Anna Politkovskaya took place in Moscow

Press Release, October 7, 2009

A rally in memory of Anna Politkovskaya, journalist of the oppositional Novaya Gazeta newspaper, gathered about 300 people in Moscow on October 7.

Dmitry Muratov, Editor-in Chief of Novaya Gazeta, told that Muscovites brought many flowers, books, messages to Anna’s tomb. He also paid tribute to the memory of journalists and human rights activists murdered in the past years, as well as those suffering persecutions from the authorities. “I am absolutely sure, that there will come time, when a monument to Natasha Estemirova will be erected in the centre of Grozny, and a monument to Anna Politkovskaya in Moscow,” he said.

Ludmila Alexeyeva, head of the Moscow Helsinki Group, thanked all who came to the rally to express their tribute to Anna. “As the killers were not found and were not even condemned by those people who are in power now, it is we who condemn them,” she said.

Presentation of the book Overcoming Stalin’s Legacy took place in Moscow

Press Release, October 6, 2009

Presentation of the book Overcoming Stalin’s Legacy published by the YABLOKO party took place in the Independent Press Centre on October 5.

Galina Mikhalyova, Executive Secretary of the Political Committee of the party, said opening the presentation, “The book contains an unprecedented for this country resolution of a political party on overcoming of Stalinism, all the discussions and materials we had prepared based not only on Russian, but also on foreign, predominantly German, sources.” Human rights activists also took part in the preparation of this resolution.

Galina Mikhalyova also noted that YABLOKO had already published several books on Stalinism. In 2007 YABLOKO jointly with the Memorial society published the book “1937” to commemorate a sad anniversary of the Great Terror, a CD entitled “Victims of Political Terror in the USSR” containing 2.5 million names of the victims of the regime was published also in 2007.

Boris Strugatsky supports YABLOKO at the Moscow City Duma election

Press Release, October 5, 2009

On the threashold of the Moscow City Duma elections that will take place on October 11, Boris Strugatsky, a world famous science fiction writer (Roadside Picnic, Stalker) send a letter to the YABLOKO party with wishes of success.

“These are hard times: hard times for democracy and hard times for YABLOKO. The rating fell, the allies were not allowed to participate [in the election], and you can count only on yourselves and your firm supporters. Now, we have to arm ourselves with patience, set teeth and not to yield. Confidence and firmness will win.

With wishes of confidence, firmness and victory!
Boris Strugatsky,
October 3, 2009”.

The Pensioners’ Party joined YABLOKO

Press Release, October 3, 2009

The interregional public organisation The Elder Generation (the former Pensioners’ party) joined the YABLOKO party. Such a decision was adopted by at a joint meeting of the YABLOKO’s Bureau and Presidium of the Central Council of the Elder Generation organisation on October 3. YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin and deputy head of the Elder Generation Alexei Borschenko signed an agreement in the presence of the media.

“It is a great honour for us, as well as recognition of our performance in protection of social rights, and in particular pensioners’ rights,” Sergei Mitrokhin told the journalists.

YABLOKO’s Political Committee determined the tasks of the responsible opposition in modern Russia

Press-Release, September 26, 2009

A meeting of YABLOKO’s Political Committee took place on September 26. The Committee developed the goals of the party in modern Russia.

YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin indicated in his report to the Committee that a system of bureaucratic cronyism developed in modern Russia. Its goal is to maintain in power one and the same ruling group for an unlimited period of time.

“Supporting a number of President Medvedev’s recent statements on the need of modernisation in Russia YABLOKO states that their realisation is incompatible with the real goals of this system,” Mitrokhin said.

Mitrokhin expressed his certainty that this system “can lead Russia to stagnation reminiscent of the stagnation of the Brezhnev period in the USSR, when the political elite lost the chance to conduct modernisation of the USSR, thus dooming it to disintegration”.

According to Mitrokhin, the task of the opposition is to offer an alternative to the political course of the country present leaders, such as building of a modern state based on democratic institutes and procedures.

Sergei Mitrokhin: Success of the FDP represents a major break-through of the liberal movement

By Olga Demidova
www.dw-world.de, September 28, 2009

In his interview to the Deutsche Welle the leader of the Russian opposition party YABLOKO Sergei Mitrokhin congratulated a “sister liberal party” – the German FDP party - with their success at the parliamentary election on September 27. “I think this represents a major break-through of the liberal movement not only in Germany, but also worldwide,” he said.

Grigory Yavlinsky: no discords in the tandem

Grigory Yavlinsky’s interview to the Radio Liberty
www.svobodanews.ru
September 22, 2009

Radio Liberty: Many Russian politicians are enthusiastic about Barack Obama abolishing the plans of deployment of the elements of the American ABM system in Central Europe. Do you share such feelings?

Grigory Yavlinsky: No, I don’t, as these missiles and the decision of deployment of the ABM system adopted by President Bush did not threaten Russia in any way. It had a symbolic meaning. What Barack Obama did, was done because he was amending an error made by george Bush, rather than yielding to Russia, as President Bush’ decision was absolutely inefficient - technically, economically and strategically. He had enough courage to shelve the erroneous plan created by George Bush.

R.L: How do you assess the reaction of the Russian politicians who are speaking about this as of a large diplomatic victory of Moscow then?

G.Y.: As immature, it stirs pity. Such a reaction can not serve as a basis for further development of reasonable, earnest, and, if we further elaborate on this thought, grownup relationships with the developed countries. In general this is a trade-in approach – if you give something to me, then I give something to you, if you take away your missiles, we shall help you or will not help you somewhere in Iran – such an approach to the world politics is extremely primitive. Such approaches proved leading to deadlocks and inefficient, but, unfortunately they have been widely spread not only in Russia, but in the West too...

Putinjugend on the march

Alexei Melnikov’s blog at the Echo Moskvi web-site,

September 30, 2009

Those who consider the Nashi (Ours) youth movement and other divisions of Putinjugend being something like the Youth of Russia (Rossiya Molodaya) which resembles the pioneers organisation of the Soviet times or Hilterjugend or Chinese Red Guards are wrong. The aforementioned organisations in their classical period had their views and convictions, they were driven by the fire of the totalitarian ideology. Putinjugend does not have any views, they have only hypocrisy. This is the most flaring phenomenon for those who would like to single out the key feature of Russia’s authoritarian regime.
Here we can see its bare hypocrisy everywhere: from preposterous colours, actions, slogans and words. If the “successors” and all their system represent a parody of Soviet times, the Putinjugend is a double parody.
Yesterday they raged by the Estonian Embassy and today they put out posts by the flat of journalist Podrabinek chasing him, tomorrow they may run to the Poland’s mission to express their protest against comparing the communist and the Nazi symbols.

United Russia interferes with YABLOKO’s election campaign with the help of police

Press-Release, September 24, 2009

Today campaigning of YABLOKO’s candidates to the Moscow City Duma was again hampered by the United Russia. This time representatives of the United Russia questioned lawfulness of YABLOKO’s campaigning by Skhodnenskaya metro station in Moscow. In these minutes YABLOKO’s candidates are expecting police which was called by the United Russia representatives.

Shamil Amirov, YABLOKO’s candidate, who was campaigning by the metro station, told that by 6 p.m. representatives of the United Russia appeared by the metro station. They installed their tents and began their campaign. Soon a representative from the United Russia came up to YABLOKO’s candidates stating that YABLOKO’s campaigning was unlawful as the Prefect’s Office did not gave a “permit” for it. Naturally, it turned out that the United Russia had a “permit” (however, the law does not envisage any “permits” for conducting election campaigns of registered candidates). “Fighting” for “fair campaigning” the United Russia representative called the police.

On the need of further steps for creation of a joint Russian-European ABM system

Statement by Chairman of the Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO, September 21, 2009

The Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO considers that urgent conclusion of multi-lateral agreements on creation of an anti-ballistic missile defence (ABM) system for Europe jointly with the USA, NATO and the European Union is a challenging and strategically important task for Russia.

Implementation of this project is of global significance. At the expected rates of nuclear missile proliferation, the number of potential threats of missile attacks against Russia, the US, Europe and any country of the world will only broaden. A joint ABM system of the technologically developed states and Russia as a country with one of the largest nuclear missile potentials will become the most important element for protection of the planet from nuclear threats in the 21st century. For Europe creation of ballistic missile defence (BMD) jointly with Russia will represent the first large step towards creation of such a system and will be also important for raising the efficiency of nuclear non-proliferation policy.

Corruptive legal consciousness

Sergei Mitrokhin’s blog at the Echo Moskvi web-site,

September 18, 2009

Yesterday I made a speech at the State Duma hearings devoted to the problems of city building. The main idea of my speech was as follows: the notorious “vertical of power” is the main source of corruption today.

The modern state President Medvedev is dreaming about does not imply only the vertical of the executive power, it should also imply horizontal of control over the executive by the legislative and the judicial power.

When such a horizontal is lacking, we have an archaic and weak state, or a corrupt state, to put it shortly, instead of a modern and strong state. I told this to Dmitry Medvedev during our meeting on June 11.

The term “modern state” shifted from that discussion to the topic of the conference in Yaroslavl. The term shifted, however, the mechanisms of democratic governing I was speaking about did not.

YABLOKO supports the decision of US President Barack Obama not to deploy ABM system in the Czech Republic

Press Release, September 18, 2009

The Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO thinks that the statement made by US President Barack Obama on abolishing of the plans to deploy elements of the ABM system in the Eastern Europe opens new opportunities for the Russian-American strategic partnership.

“This is a correct decision made by President Obama, it wipes away the issue which has been continuously producing unnecessary tensions and makes space for constructive cooperation between Russia and the USA in strengthening of the European security,” that is how Sergei Mitrokhin, leader of the YABLOKO party, commented on the US decision to abolish plans on stationing US radar in the Czech Republic.

Sergei Mitrokhin also noted that “signs that the approach of the new US administration as regards deployment of the ABM system in the Eastern Europe would be rational” appeared during President Obama’s visit to Moscow in July.

Action against commemorating Joseph Stalin’s name in the interiors of the Kurskaya metro station, Moscow

Press Release, September 16, 2009

An action against restoration of the inscription praising Joseph Stalin in the elements of decoration of the Kurskaya metro station took place on September 16. YABLOKO’s activists handed to the passers-by the book 1937 (a collection of articles and documents on Stalin’s repressions) published by YABLOKO and the Memorial human rights centre. Activists of Memorial also participated in the action.

“I as a deputy of the Moscow City Duma and a teacher is fully aware of the danger such “creeping” stalinisation is prone of,” said Eugeni Bunimovich, deputy head of YABLOKO’s Moscow branch and Chair of the Moscow City Duma Commission for Education and Science. “I am certain that children will not look at it as at some [architectural] monument, they will see that Stalin did inspire people,” he added.

Here comes a nice “modern state”

Sergei Mitrokhin’s blog at the Echo Moskvi web-site,

September 15, 2009

...No fair elections, no division of powers, no freedom of manifestations, meetings, etc. And monopoly on power for one party. The conclusion was that we do not have democracy as a modern state system, and modernization of Russia’s economy (Dmitry Medvedev’s dream) is impossible without this in the 21 century. By the way, I told this to Dmitry Medvedev during our meeting on June 11.

As all the foreigners spoke about their theories at the section, I also could not help speaking about my theory. Here it comes in a nutshell. Belated modernization is prone of disintegration for countries with vast territories. The USSR lost a favourable moment for modernization as early as in 1970s (in contrast to China). That is why perestroika and the beginning of Boris Yetlsin governing represented stages of disintegration rather than its causes. A catastrophic governing may take place both in the democratic and the authoritarian governing.

Would the West’s Billions Pay Off?
Los Angeles Times
By Grigory Yavlinsky and Graham Allison
June 3, 1991

YABLOKO's leader proposes a joint Russia-US BMD project at the meeting with Barack Obama. July 7, 2009.

Mitrokhin proposed a visa-free regime between Russia and EU at the European liberal leaders meeting. June 18, 2009.

YABLOKO’s Leaders Meet with President of Russia. June 11, 2009

OSCE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY THE EIGHTEENTH ANNUAL SESSION

July 3, 2009

RESOLUTION ON DIVIDED EUROPE REUNITED: PROMOTING HUMAN RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES IN THE OSCE REGION IN THE 21st CENTURY.

In the memory of Yuri Schekochikhin

In the memory of Farid Babayev

West must aid Soviet reform says Yavlinsky
Financial Times
By Leyla Boulton in Moscow
May 21, 1991

Soviet Economists Visit Harvard Profs. Team of Seven Seek Western Advice to Draft Plan to Restructure Economy
The Harvard Crimson
By Lan N. Nguyen
May 22, 1991

Joint Plan Links Western Aid with Soviet Economic Reforms
Harvard University Gazette
May 24, 1991

Ratings and votes

VTsIOM
(in Russian)