Press Release, October 4, 2013

Sergei Mitrokhin conducted a meeting with the election observers at YABLOKO’s office on October 3. Secretary of YABLOKO’s Political Committee Galina Mikhaleva and coordinator of YABLOKO’s election observation programme Evgenia Vlasova participated in the meeting.

Galina Mikhaleva greeted the civil activists at the beginning of the meeting. She said that about 1500 YABLOKO’s election observers who controlled one third of the polls in Moscow worked at the Moscow mayoral elections.

Sergei Mitrokhin said that the election observers do a very important job not only for Moscow, but for the whole Russia. According to Mitrokhin, “it’s necessary for the country now”. “A lot of things should be done in our country, but there are things that should be done in the first place. Fair elections are one of those things”, said Mitrokhin.

Mitrokhin thanked all those present and called them to continue their activity and develop the election observation in the regions of Russia. By the end of the meeting he answered all he questions of the observers and expressed hope for further cooperation.

Galina Mikhaleva told about YABLOKO’s success at the regional elections. “Now we have three factions in the parliaments of St.Petersburg, Karelia, Pskov, a large number of municipal deputies and the candidate supported by YABLOKO won the mayoral elections in Petrozavodsk”, she said.

Evgenia Vladova also thanked the election observers. “YABLOKO understands how difficult, tiring and psychologically hard the job of the election observer is better than anyone else. You deserve great respect for your position and the wish to take part in this work”.

She said that YABLOKO has been cooperating with the election observers for years and many of those people became members of the election commissions and continue their activity. “We approve of this idea and are ready to support and help the activists to do it”, said Vlasova.

Evgenia Vlasova told about the work done by the YABLOKO’s headquarters during the voing and counting of the votes and asked the present to express their remarks.

Summing up the event, Galina Mikhaleva propose to create an election observers Club where the activists could discuss their work and share their experience. The election observers supported the idea.

At the end of the meeting YABLOKO’s activists presented the election observers with the letters of thanks and gifts in the form of an apple.