Guberniya Daily, 16.08.2013

Picket “For Fair Elections” was held in Petrozavodsk today. Petrozavodsk residents came to defend their right to have a choice which they may be deprived of. In our previous publications we wrote that Vera Parfyonova, candidate from the YABLOKO party, was withdrawn from the elections of the head of Prionezhsky District on formal grounds. Another verdict on Emiliya Slabunova running for Petrozavodsk Mayor will come soon.

Many people told us that they came to the picket so that to stand their position. People are really outraged that the authorities have been trying to oust eliminate a strong competitor [from the election], thus, depriving them of their legitimate right to choose.

The speakers at the picket were respected people in Petrozavodsk.

Galina Karasova

“We are so much outraged! Where is democracy? It is not court which should decide who should be the mayor, but the people, and they want to deprive us of this right!” said Galina Karasova, Chair of the public organization Union of Karelian Pensioners and an honorary citizen of Petrozavodsk.

“Democracy is not just a word, and our right to choose is given to us by the Constitution, and it is worth of protection. Many people think that this has nothing to do with them. And that withdrawing of candidate Parfyonova or an attempt to oust Slabunova is not their concern,” said Ivan Gusev, Editor of Karelskaya Guberniya newspaper and web-site manager of Guberniya Daily. “In fact, it applies to absolutely everyone, we can not be silent. Now the government has been trying to tell us that everything that all these developments are of no importance and will have no impact on our lives. They are trying to explain us that if Slabunova is ousted from the elections, this is natural and normal. But there are no errors in [her] documents [submitted to the Electoral Commission for her registration in the race], it’s pettifoggery and an attempt to confuse voters. It is not normal, and this can not happen in any civilized country! If we feel that we do not like something in our city, we should talk about it, if we feel that the mayor have to be changed, then we should not let them deprive us of this right. Now a fraudulent scheme has been applied, when they are trying to oust one candidate giving way to another one.

Many of the candidates at the beginning of the race said that the elections should be fair. Candidate Galina Shirshina spoke at the rally.

“We have to have a choice in the election. And victory should be won honestly! Galina Shirshina said.

Candidate Emiliya Slabunova thanked everyone for coming and for such enthusiastic support. According to Slabunova, she had been continuously receiving offers to voluntarily withdraw her candidacy from the election. But she was not going to yield.

“In my programme I have written such principles as “honesty, openness and transparency”. As we can see, those who have been trying to oust me from the election do not want open, transparent and fair elections,” Slabunova said. “ Do we need such power? Petrozavodsk is a modern and free city, and we all have a right to our city. Together we should adopt the basic

decisions, and everything should be fair, open and transparent. I will not remove my candidacy from the elections! And I hope, that with your support, we will win!

Photo by Sergei Yudin and Igor Podgorny

The original publication