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Moscow City Duma Elections
2009
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Press releases and publications
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| Liberal
International discussed political banditism in Russia
Press Release, November 13,
2010
YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin
made a report on situation in Russia at the meeting
of Liberal International Executive Committee which
is taking place in Cape Town, South African Republic.
Mitrokhin began his report with bad
news. He told about an attack on civil activist Konstantin
Fetisov and journalist Oleg Kashin. “Such crimes
become more frequent, as they go unpunished,”
stressed YABLOKO’s leader.
According to Mitrokhin, “in
words Russian leaders advocate the rule of law and
democracy. But their deeds strikingly differ from
their declarations”. “The Russian authorities
are unable to ensure implementation of laws in the
country. But they widely practice arbitrary use of
law as an instrument for protection of their political
and economic interests,” he noted.
Regional elections are falsified,
which demonstrates insecurity of the ruling party’s
position. “High popularity ratings of Putin
and Medvedev and very low rates of public trust to
the state and public institutes demonstrate instability
of our political system,” Mitrokhin said... |
| Country
report on Russia by Sergei Mitrokhin.
Executive Committee of Liberal
International. Cape Town, November 13, 2010
It has become increasingly dangerous
to state one’s position in Russia. For the past
week civil activist Konstantin Fektistov and journalist
Oleg Kashin were beaten almost to death and severely
injured. Such crimes become
more frequent, as they go unpunished. Murders of well-known
journalist Anna Politkovskaya, lawyer Stanislav Markelov
and human rights activist Natalia Estemirova are still
uninvestigated.
For the past years our party YABLOKO
lost several our friends and colleagues – journalists
and human rights activists Larissa Yudina, Yuri Schekochikhin
and Farid Babayev. These crimes are still uninvestigated.
The fact that crimes against politicians, journalists
and human rights activists are unpunished gives rise
to new crimes.
The Russian authorities are unable
to ensure implementation of laws in the country. But
they widely practice arbitrary use of law as an instrument
for protection of their political and economic interests...
|
| Moscow
YABLOKO delegated its representatives to the Consultative
Council under the Moscow City Duma
Press Release. June 2, 2010
Yesterday, on June 1, the Regional
Council of the Moscow YABLOKO once again examined
the issue of YABLOKO’s participation in the
Consultative Council under the Moscow City Duma. It
was decided to delegate two YABLOKO’s representatives
to the Consultative Council.
Chair of the Moscow YABLOKO Sergei
Mitrokhin and member of the Regional Council Elena
Morozova were elected out of five candidacies by secret
ballot... |
| Court
refused to satisfy YABLOKO’s suit on cancellation
of the results of the voting at two Moscow electoral
districts
Press Release. February 18,
2010
Simonovsky District Court, Moscow,
refused to satisfy YABLOKO’s suit on cancellation
of the results of the voting at two Moscow electoral
districts, where progovernmental United Russia obtained
231 additional votes via fraud.
The judge chose to conduct hearings
in the absence of YABLOKO’s representative. She also
prohibited journalist from the Kommersant-Vlast paper
to take notes during the process.
YABLOKO’s arguments based on a considerable
discrepancy between the protocols given to the observers
on the election day October 11, 2009, and the official
results of the voting. Thus 96 votes were taken LDPR,
Just Russia and Patriots of Russia and added to the
United Russia party. The chair of this electoral commission
explained this by an error. “Provisional” protocols
where figures represented a mere “guess work” were
allegedly given to the observers, however, later the
mistake was detected and amended. However, the chair
of the commission failed to explain how this “guess
work” managed to virtually coincide with the real
results of the voting, especially in case of YABLOKO
and CPRF. |
| Two
Moscow district courts to adopt decisions on YABLOKO’s
suits
Press Release. February 17,
2010
Tomorrow, February 18, Simonovsky
District Court, Moscow, will adopt decision on YABLOKO’s
suit regarding cancellation of the results of the
voting at electoral districts No 1696 and 1701 on
October 11 election. These districts added 231 votes
to progovernmental United Russia party via fraud...
The hearings will begin at 2 p.m. Address: Vostochnaya
ul. 2, stoyeniye 6. Judge Titarova.
On Friday, February 19, Preobrazhensky
District Court, Moscow, will make a ruling concerning
the results of the voting at polling station No 1062.
According to the copies of protocols given to YABLOKO’s
observers, the official total of the votes cast at
the polling station considerably increased the total
of the votes cast for each of the parties in accordance
with the protocols given to the observers. The
hearings will begin at 10-30 a.m. Address: 2nd Bukhvostova
ul. 4. Judge Yegorov. |
| 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.
Such monopoly led to the insensibility of the political
system of the USSR to the challenges of the time.
Attempts to reform the system were considerably belated
and that, consequently, led to a collapse of the USSR. |
| 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...
|
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| YABLOKO
to suit United Russia in Kuntsevsky District Court
Press Release, December 14,
2009
Tomorrow on December 15 at 11.00 a.m.
Kuntsevsky District Court, Moscow, will hear 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 YABLOKO party bases its suit on
the discrepancies between the observers’ protocols
and the official data...
The address of the Kuntsevsky District
Court: Molodyozhnaya metro station, Yartsevskaya ul.,
12. Judge E.Yu.Mareyeva, hall No 419. |
| 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).
|
| Chairs
of local electoral commissions speak in favour of
cancellation of the results of the elections in the
Veshnyaki area, Moscow
Press Release, December 2,
2009
Yesterday on December 1, the Perovo
district court conducted the second hearing on YABLOKO’s
suit for cancellation of the results of the voting
at two electoral districts in the Veshnyaki area,
Moscow. According to official data United Russia obtained
there by 1,002 votes more than indicated in the protocols
given to the observers. The court heard the evidence
of the chairs of these electoral commissions and rejected
several motions by YABLOKO’s lawyers.
At the first hearings of the case
Chair of the Territorial Electoral Commission Vera
Stepanova presented to the court her version of the
developments. She stated that the protocols given
to the observers can not serve written evidence, as
the said observers “created psychologically
unbearable atmosphere” at the polling station
on the election day - October 11, 2009, which “caused
a great number of errors on behalf of the chairs and
secretaries of the commission”. |
| 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...
|
| 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.
READ
MORE |
| 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. |
| 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
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... |
| 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”. |
| YABLOKO
launches “Learn What Happened to Your Vote!”
campaign
Press release, October 27,
2009
Today, on October 27, 2009, YABLOKO
is launching “Learn What Happened to Your Vote!”
campaign. The goal of the campaign is to gather information
and analyse the results on every electoral district.
These data will allow to annul the results of the
election, recount the votes at all electoral districts
and further demand that a new election be appointed.
YABLOKO calls all the Muscovites who
did not vote for the progovernmental United Russia
or took away and destroyed his bulletin or simply
abstained from voting to notify YABLOKO by e-mail
or by phone...
“Having gathered all this information
and comparing it with the official data and the statistical
analysis data, we shall be able to access the scope
of the fraud and obtain evidence required for recognition
of the election void,” runs YABLOKO’s
address to the Muscovites published at the Moscow
YABLOKO’s web-site. |
| 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... |
| 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 recalculate
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”.
|
| In
Russia, Putin's democracy looking more like a façade.
The Christian Science Monitor.
October 19, 2009. Reproduced with a kind permission
of The Christian Science Monitor.
|
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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.
|
| 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... |
| Briefing
of the leaders of YABLOKO’s list on the preliminary
results of the Moscow City Duma election
Press Release, October 11,
2009
A briefing of the leaders of YABLOKO’s
list Sergei Mitrokhin and Eugeni Bunimovich on the
preliminary results of the Moscow City Duma election
took place in YABLOKO’s head-quarters in Moscow
on October 11 at 10-30 p.m.
YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin
stressed that in spite of all the difficulties he
was satisfied how YABLOKO performed in the election
campaign. However, he stressed that he was not going
to make any guesses whether the party would get into
the Moscow parliament.
“We absolutely don’t know
whether we will be able to get in or not, as any elections
in Russia represent an equation in two unknowns. One
unknown is how the voters may voter, the other –
how these votes will be counted. But I am satisfied
with our campaign,” Mitrokhin told to Interfax.
He also noted that “elections
to the Moscow City Duma are close to the election
of a national level, therefore the campaign was very
politicized.” “During this campaign we
managed to clearly determine our friends and foes,”
Mitorkhin said. He stressed that the parties that
tried to oust YABLOKO “from the opposition area
and become a pseudo-opposition” turned out to
be YABLOKO’s foes. “These are Just Russia,
part of the Right Course headed by Leonid Gozman,
as well as some representatives from the Solidarity
movement”.
Mitrokhin also stressed that part
of the former Pensioners’ Party which joined
YABLOKO creating a faction within the party and Russia’s
small-scale business are definitely YABLOKO’s
supporters. “This campaign marks our turning
to large and potent layers of the society,”
Mitrokhin said.
|
| Work
of our office on the election day, October 11
Press Release, October 9,
2009
10 a.m. – YABLOKO’s leader Sergei
Mitrokhin will vote at the electoral district No 191
(address: Khamovnichesky Val 6)
Whole day – Election headquarters
collect information from electoral districts, as well
as monitor possible violations. Party lawyers, candidates
to deputies of the Moscow City Duma from YABLOKO to
inspect electoral districts with alleged violations.
10 p.m. – briefing in YABLOKO’s office,
leaders of YABOKO’s election list to report on preliminary
results of the election.
Accreditation and information on the
election day will be provided at the telephones indicated
below:
|
| On
the last day of allowed campaigning Muscovites could
see YABLOKO’s photo report
Press Release, October 9,
2009
On the last day of allowed campaigning
before the voting date, October 11, the YABLOKO party
offered to the Muscovites its photo report on the
work done by the faction in the Moscow City Duma.
Double stands with photographs were put at Chistoprudniy
boulevard in the centre of Moscow.
Leaders of YABLOKO’s election
list Sergei Mitrokhin, Eugeni Bunimovich, Zoya Shargatova,
Alexander Gnezdilov, Valery Borschyov, Andrei Babushkin,
Shamil Amirov, Yulia Timakova, Roman Zhigulsky, Sergei
Markov and Pavel Gerasimov came to this exhibition
so that to answer questions of the electorate. In
spite of a heavy rain Muscovites showed interest to
the photo stands, talked to YABLOKO’s candidates
and took YABLOKO’s leaflets so that to show
them to their relatives, neighbours and friends.
|
| YABLOKO
to report on its performance in Moscow at a photo
exhibition
Annoucement, October 8, 2009
A photo exhibition on performance
of the YABLOKO faction in the Moscow City Duma for
the past four years will take place at Chistoprudniy
boulevard (by the Griboyedov monument) on October
9, at 2 p.m.
The exhibition will be opened until
8 p.m. All the time YABLOKO’s candidates to
the Moscow City Duma will answer voters’ questions,
gather Muscovites’ requests and tell them about
YABLOKO’s work in Moscow.
The exhibition will be opened by the
leaders of YABLOKO’s list – Sergei Mitrokhin
and Eugeni Bunimovich. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| Progovernmental
United Russia sends police against YABLOKO
Press-Release, September
20, 2009
On September 19 police from the Arbat
Police department interfered with the work of YABLOKO’s
mobile office at the Arbat street. On the telephone
call from a member of Political Council for the local
United Russia branch head of the local police department
colonel Alexei Platonov and policemen with guns arrived
“to restore order” at the place where
YABLOKO’s office was stationed.
Colonel Platonov demanded that YABLOKO’s
candidates to the deputies of the Moscow City Duma
Alexandra Vassilyieva and Shamil Amirov should stop
their communication with the local residents threatening
with arrest and drawing of a protocol of administrative
violation.
|
| The
authorities prohibit YABLOKO’s campaigning in
public transport
Press Release, September 17,
2009
Moscow authorities interfere with
YABLOKO’s campaigning in public transport. Moscow
Department of Transport and Communication urged the
owners of private taxies carrying YABLOKO’s
slogans “Protecting Muscovites, Helping Everyone”
to dismantle them threatening that taxi owners will
have “problems in business”. About 130
taxis with YABLOKO’s slogans have been commuting
in the city since September 11, after the taxi owners
signed corresponding agreements with YABLOKO.
Also YABLOKO did not manage to conclude
and agreement on placing its slogans on the municipal
transport (buses, trolley-buses and trams). Mosgortrans
(the Moscow City Transport company) which owns the
transport means in the city indicated that the Moscow
Property Department should give a permit for placing
slogans on the municipal transport means. The latter,
however, send YABLOKO a bureaucratic note recommending
to “work out the issue” with Mosgortrans
and also apply to the Interdepartamental Commission
for Advertising of the Moscow Government.
|
| YABLOKO
wins another victory in the debate
Press Release, September 15,
2009
On September 14, Rosbalt information
agency held a debate among several political parties
participating in the Moscow City Duma election. The
discussion was devoted to the loud and disputable
liquidation of the Cherkizovsky market place in Moscow
and problems of the small-scale business in general.
Representatives of the expert
community, departments heads of different state and
municipal agencies, representatives of political parties
and businessmen (those whose business suffered with
liquidation of the market place inclusive). Roman
Zhigulsky, Chair of the For the Fair Market movement
and candidate to the Moscow City Duma from the YABLOKO
party represented the interests of the business community.
The “ring” was taken by
Galina Mikhalyova, Executive Secretary of YABLOKO’s
Political Committee and Leonid Olshansky, member of
the Central Council of the Just Russia party.
|
| YABLOKO’s
candidates to deputies of the Moscow City Duma arrested
by police
Press Release, September 14,
2009
The police detained three candidates
to the Moscow City Duma from the YABLOKO party (candidates
in the South-Eastern administrative district of Moscow),
who conducted a meeting with voters by Aviamotornaya
metro station. On September
13 (at about 8 p.m.) policemen approached Tatyana
Ovcharyenko, Pavel Gerasimov and Yulia Timakova accusing
them in unsanctioned picketing and took them to the
police station. According to the police, YABLOKO’s
candidates lacked a permission for putting a desk
and an umbrella with YABLOKO’s symbols, as well
as for the use of megaphone.
All the arguments that the law does
not stipulate for any permissions in campaigning did
not work. YABLOKO’s candidates were taken to
the Lefortovo police department in YABLOKO’s
coach decorated with YABLOKO’s symbols. |
| Mitrokhin
demands that deception of the electorate should be
stopped
Press Release, September 10,
2009
Today speaking at the round table
devoted to registration of candidates for elections
to local self-government bodies that will take place
on October 11, 2009, Sergei Mitrokhin, leader of the
YABLOKO party, has said that procedure of collection
of signatures turned into a nightmare for the candidates.
“It is more or less bearable
for the parties, as they have administrative staff
[who can help in the organisation of collection of
signatures], however, the task becomes simply back-breaking
for single-mandate candidates,” Sergei Mitrokhin
noted in his speech.
|
| All
the non-registered candidates should be registered
Statement of the Regional
Council of the Moscow YABLOKO branch, September 9,
2009
The Moscow branch of YABLOKO expresses
its deep concern with the developments around registration
of candidates to the Moscow City Duma election.
The practices when candidates are
not allowed to run in the election violate the fundamental
constitutional rights of the citizens to be elected
into the legislative bodies.
In this situation we demand that the
Moscow Electoral Commission should register all the
candidates who submitted documents for registration
in the race.
Sergei Mitrokhin,
Chairman of the Moscow YABLOKO branch
|
| The
Moscow Electoral Commission registered YABLOKO for
the Moscow City Duma election
Press Release, September 4,
2009
The Moscow Electoral Commission has
registered YABLOKO’s election list for the Moscow
City Duma election. Such a decision has been adopted
by the Moscow Electoral Commission today.
Fayas Khalilulin, head of the working
group which checked signatures for registration of
the list, released the results of his audit. “The
fact that only 1,077 signatures out of total 17,736,
i.e. 7,1%, were acknowledged void, allows us to adopt
a decision on registration of the list of candidates
[for the Moscow election]”, runs the conclusion
of the working group.
|
| Sergei
Mitrokhin wins the debate among four parties
Press Release, September 3,
2009
Debates of candidates to the deputies
of the Moscow City Duma took place at Gazeta.ru on
September 3.
Vladimir Platonov, Speaker of the
Moscow City Duma and candidate from the United Russia
party, Sergei Mitorkhin, deputy of the Moscow City
Duma and leader of the YABLOKO party, Nikolai Gubenko
topping the CPRF list and Natalya Borodina, candidate
from the Fair Russia party, participated in the debate.
|
| Five
YABLOKO’s activists brought to trial
Press Release, September 1,
2009
Today on September 1, the court of
the first instance will examine the cases of five
YABLOKO’s activists accused in unsanctioned
picketing at the Red Square.
On August 16 the police detained nine activists of
the YABLOKO party collecting signatures (required
for registration of the party in the Moscow City Duma
election) at the Red Square. Six activists were accused
in unsanctioned picketing and three are charged with
resisting police.
|
| YABLOKO
submits signatures for registration at the Moscow
City Duma election
Press Release, August 26,
2009
Today YABLOKO has submitted about
80,000 signatures to the Moscow Electoral Commission
for registration at the Moscow City Duma election.
Sergei Mitrokhin, YABLOKO’s Chairman and leader
of the party election list, and activists of the Youth
YABLOKO submitted to the Moscow Electoral Commission
ten boxes styled as apple boxes (YABLOKO means “apple”
in Russian).
|
| Police
stops YABLOKO’s motor race
Press Release, August 26,
2009
Road police blocked YABLOKO’s motor
column - 15 cars with YABLOKO’s flags and symbols
– by the Kremlin. The motor race was organised on
the last day of collection of signatures required
for registration of YABLOKO in the Moscow City Duma
election race.The police ordered
YABLOKO’s cars to stop and took all the driving licenses.
Only after that the police explained their actions.
Police officers asked for a permit to conduct such
an action, and when Sergei Mitrokhin came to the site
they accused the activists in “creating traffic obstacles”
and ordered to draw protocols of administrative violations.
|
| Police
arrests the participants of YABLOKO’s motor
race
Press Release, August 25,
2009
The road police stopped YABLOKO’s
column – 15 cars with YABLOKO’s symbols
– in the centre of Moscow. The police announced
that the motor race was unlawful and insisted that
it required prior registration with the local authorities.
The police also demanded to take YABLOKO
symbols and flags off the cars, saying that they may
release the column only on this condition. |
| YABLOKO
has collected 78,000 signatures
Press Release, August 24,
2009
YABLOKO has collected 78,000 signatures
(as of today) required for registration of the party
in the Moscow City Duma election campaign. We shall
continue collection of signatures until night August
25.
Sergei Mitrokhin, Chairman of the party and leader
of YABLOKO’s election list said, “We shall
continue collection of signatures in the remaining
two days so that to have excess signatures to secure
ourselves from possible fault-finding of the Electoral
Commission”. |
Police
of the North-Western District of Moscow interferes
with YABLOKO’s collection of signatures
Press Release, August 20,
2009
Police made another provocation against
YABLOKO’s collectors of signatures for registration
of YABLOKO’s list at the Moscow City Duma election
campaign. YABLOKO’s activists planed to collect signatures
by the Planernaya metro station (North-West of Moscow).
Hardly did they began their work when Leutenant Maxim
Seleznyov of the Northern Tushino police department
announced to them that they were detained for unsanctioned
picketing and had to go to the police department with
him. |
YABLOKO*
celebrated Savior of the Apple Feast Day
Press Release, August 20,
2009
Protection from Arbitrary Rule on
Savior of the Apple Feast Day (Yablochny Spas), such
was the slogan of the YABLOKO’s action conducted on
August 19. A coach with party symbols took YABLOKO’s
activists first to the Kitai Gorog police department
(the one which detained YABLOKO’s collectors of signatures
at the Red Square), then to the court and then to
lay flowers to the memorial cross set at the place
of the church pulled down 45 years ago. |
| YABLOKO
to collect signatures at the key Moscow railway stations
Press Release, August 20,
2009
On Friday, August 21, candidates to
the Moscow City Duma from YABLOKO and party activists
will collect signatures required for registration
of YABLOKO’s election list at eight Moscow railway
stations. |
Court
postponed examination of the cases of YABLOKO’s
collectors of signatures
Press Release, August 19,
2009
Court hearings of the YABLOKO activists
cases (collecting signatures at the Red Square) have
been postponed. The court sent three cases of alleged
“resistance to the police” back to the
police department. The trials were appointed on August
25 and August 27. |
Police
arrests YABLOKO’s activists collecting signatures
at the Red Square, Moscow
Press Release, August 16,
2009
On August 16, members of the Youth
Organisation of YABLOKO and Deputy of the Moscow City
Duma Sergei Mitrokhin came to the Red Square to collect
signatures in support of YABLOKO’s election
list. (Such collection of signatures is required by
law from all the non-parliamentary parties so that
to be registered for running their election campaigns.
The law does not specify the time and place of collection
of signatures).
Several security service and police
officers came to the activists and asked for a permit.
The young people gave to the officers their written
address to the law enforcement bodies where they cited
the law and explained that collection of signatures
at the Red Square does not require any prior permits
or registrations. However, the police was not satisfied
with the explanations.
|
YABLOKO
presents it programme for the Moscow City Duma election
Press Release, August 13,
2009
On August 13 top candidates from YABLOKO
s electoral list for the Moscow City Duma election
Sergei Mitrokhin and Alexei Yablokov presented YABLOKO
s election programme in the Interfax press-centre,
and renown human rights activist and head of the Moscow
Helsinki group Ludmila Alexeyeva told about Public
Council she heads in support of YABLOKO s candidates.
|
The
police demands that YABLOKO should collect signatures
in silence
Press Release, August 6, 2009
On August 5, the police interfered
with collection of signatures by the YABLOKO party
by Tushinskaya metro station. This time collection
of signatures was organized by four groups of businessmen.
The police asked the collectors to take off all YABLOKO’s
flags and coats with party symbols. They also asked
YABLOKO’s activists to show an allowance from
the local authority, however, such an allowance is
redundant for election campaigns. In spite of this
YABLOKO had informed the local authority of the North-Western
district of Moscow of such collection. |
Nezavisimaya
Gazeta switched into a “black PR” campaign
Press Release, August 3, 2009
Press Service of the YABLOKO party
was surprised to see an article entitled Why Yavlinsky
Was Summoned to the Kremlin by Elina Bilevskaya in
Nezavisimaya Gazeta of August 3. The article states
that Yavlinsky made agreement with the Kremlin so
that to secure deputies’ mandates for the party
in the Moscow City Duma election. |
YABLOKO’s
candidates to the deputies of the Moscow City Duma
to participate in collection of signatures
Press Release, August 3, 2009
On August 3 YABLOKO’s candidates
to the deputies of the Moscow City Duma will participate
in collection of signatures required for enrollment
in the election campaign.
Leaders of the regional groups (47 YABLOKO’s
candidates) together with party activists and supporters
will participate in the pickets in the streets and
by metro stations. |
Court
acquitted YABLOKO’s collectors of signatures
Press Release, August 3, 2009
Judge of the court of the first instance
(Dorogomilovo Moscow court) returned to the police
the case on arrest of two collectors of signatures
of the YABLOKO party who were incriminated “conducting
propaganda in the restricted period”. |
YABLOKO
begins collection of signatures for enrollment in
the Moscow City Duma election race
Press Release, July 31, 2009
YABLOKO began collection of signatures
for registration of its list of candidates for the
Moscow City Duma election. However, collectors of
signatures encountered hostile actions from the police.
On July 30, two party activists were arrested by the
Park Pobedi metro station and were detained in the
local police office (Dorogomilovo) for several hours,
after which the case of “administrative violation”
was sent to court. |
 Police
interferes with YABLOKO's collection of signatures
Press Release, July 30, 2009
Police stopped collection of signatures
required for registration of YABLOKO's list at the
Moscow City Duma election. Collection of signatures
has begun today.
At Pushkinskaya square police stopped 15 people engaged
in collection of signatures and took their flags and
cloaks with YABLOKO's symbols. When one of the detained
said that this demand was unlawful, he was arrested
and taken to the local police department as organizer
of the action. YABLOKO's symbols were also taken to
this police department. |
YABLOKO
to begin collection of signatures for the Moscow Duma
election at the infill plots
Press Release, July 30, 2009
YABLOKO to begin collection of signatures
in favour of its list of candidates for the Moscow
Duma election in the yard of Vavilova 48, where Alliance
Group is going to build an elite block of flats instead
of the sports ground belonging to the condominium
of the block of flats No 48. The right of the condominium
to the sports ground was confirmed by the Court of
Arbitration. |
YABLOKO’s
slogans are becoming popular
Press Release, July 28, 2009
YABLOKO has been using its slogan
“Governments under Public Control!” since parliamentary
election in 2007, now it has turned into the key slogan
at the rally in protection of small businesses at
Cherkizovsky Market in Moscow (Ed. A popular Moscow
market with cheap goods recently closed by the authorities)
held by the youth organization of the Labour Russia
(Avangard Krasnoi Molodyozhi). |
The
Electoral Commission attested YABLOKO's election lists
for the Moscow City Duma election and the party can
start collection of signatures
Interfax, July 27, 2009
The lists of candidates to the deputies
of the Moscow City Duma submitted by the YABLOKO party
to the Moscow Electoral Commission were attested and
certified at the Commission meeting on Monday. YABLOKO's
list of 49 candidates was approved by the party conference
of the Moscow branch of YABLOKO on July 22. The list
is topped by Moscow City Duma deputies Sergei Mitrokhin,
YABLOKO's leader and Chair of the Moscow branch of
YABLOKO, and Eugeni Bunimovich, Deputy Chair of the
Moscow YABLOKO. |
Sergei Mitrokhin
and Eugeni Bunimovich top the list of YABLOKO’s
candidates at the Moscow Duma election
Press Release, July 23, 2009
Sergei Mitrokhin and Eugeni Bunimovich
topped the list of candidates from the YABLOKO party
to the Moscow City Duma election. The
list of candidates was approved by the conference
of the Moscow branch of YABLOKO on July 22. |
Moscow
housing policy to be corrected
Press Release, July 15, 2009
The Moscow government acknowledged
YABLOKO’s criticism and withdrew from the agenda of
the Moscow City Duma draft law “The Basis of the Housing
Policy in Moscow”. Yesterday at a press conference
Sergei Mitrokhin, leader of the YABLOKO party and
its faction in the Moscow Duma, criticized the draft
law for maintaining the provisions allowing for the
state to impose its methods of management over condominiums
and its prices and norms for communal services. |
YABLOKO
reports on its performance in the Moscow City Duma
Press Release, July 14, 2009
Press conference of the YABLOKO party
“What has been done and will be done by YABLOKO in
the Moscow City Duma” took place in the Independent
Press Centre on July 14. YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin
and Chairman of the Commission on Science and Education
of the Moscow City Duma Eugeni Bunimovich reported
on YABLOKO’s performance in the Moscow parliament. |
Press
conference on the performance of the YABLOKO faction
Press Release, July 13, 2009
Press conference on the performance
of the YABLOKO faction in the Moscow City Duma will
take place in Nezavisimiy Press-Centr (Independent
Press Centre) on July 14 at 2.00 p.m. At the conference
the YABLOKO faction will report on its performance
in the Moscow City Duma and will present of its action
plan for the short term. |
Garages
owners demand that the authorities should return their
property
Press Release, July 9, 2009
A meeting of deputy of the Moscow
City Duma Sergei Mitrokhin with owners of garages
pulled down at Podvsoiskogo street took place by the
municipal council building of the Presnya District,
Moscow. Sergei Mitrokhin informed the meeting that
he had received an answer on his deputy’s inquiry
addressed to the head of the property Department of
Moscow Vladimir Silkin. The answer, however, did not
clear up the point why some owners had been granted
property title while other had not. |
YABLOKO
disrupted the plans on elimination of a specially
protected natural territory in Moscow
Press Release June 24, 2009
Today the Moscow City Duma has declined amendments
into the draft law “On Specially Protected Natural
Territories in Moscow” that would allow to conduct
once in three years the so-called “corrections” [i.e.
reductions] of such natural zones not exceeding 1
per cent of the territory. To prove to the deputies
that such an initiative will inevitably lead to shrinking
of forests and parks Sergei Mitrokhin, leader of the
YABLOKO party and its faction in the Moscow Duma,
visited on June 22 with deputy’s inspection one of
such specially protected natural territories (The
Valley of the Riva Skhadnaya in Kurkino), where a
nameless elite settlement is situated. |
| |
| Publications |
| 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.”
READ
MORE |
| The
Constitutional Court makes removal of candidates from
electoral lists more difficult for the parties
By Galina Mikhalyova, Executive
Secretary of YABLOKO’s Political Committee
kommentarii.ru, November 14, 2009
The [Constitutional Court’s]
decision will broaden the rights of members of our
mostly authoritatively constructed parties only to
a small extent… However, while it is allowed
to have “locomotives” (Ed. well-known
persons topping party election lists and bringing
a large number of votes for the party and resigning
right after the election), this decision will not
be able to cardinally change the situation. The key
problem lies not only in our legislation but also
in the law enforcement practices. The laws on parties
and on elections are abundant with excess regulations
complicating performance for the parties, especially
for the opposition parties, however, the laws lack
a clear framework that would make the parties to abide
by democratic procedures (e.g., a ban on dismissal
and appointing of the governing bodies).
|
| 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
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| 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”.
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| Moscow
Regional Elections saw multiple violations
Liberal International. Newsletter
No 157, October 16, 2009
The Moscow City Duma elections that
took place on 11 October saw multiple violations despite
the reports of the Moscow Electoral Commission that
“no grave violations” took place. Independent
election observers and opposition parties noted the
multiple violations such as ballot box stuffing and
inhibiting access to polling stations. Sergei Mitrokhin,
leader of LI member in Russia, YABLOKO, said: “Stemming
from both direct and indirect data, we can say that
YABLOKO obtained about 12% of the votes. Fraud took
almost two thirds of our votes. Many YABLOKO voters
found out that ‘someone' had already voted for
them, and they were not allowed to vote. There was
an Anti-election propaganda throughout the whole elections
and no information on where to vote was available
to the public. Russian President Medvedev described
the elections as ‘well organized' and ‘in
accordance with the law'.”
Read
more:
LI Deputy President decorated
by Indonesia
FNF hosts event on German elections
Moscow Regional Elections saw multiple violations
We need to power Canada on clean energy – say
LPC’s Ignatieff
Argentine Senate passes controversial media bill
Graham Watson supports Taiwan’s bid to take
part in UN agencies
Liberal Matters “The Global Economic Crisis”
now online
Cairo Congress
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| 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.
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| 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 |
| 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? |
| ELDR
Newsletter, September 2009
Yabloko
runs in the next Russian elections
Regional and municipal elections will take
place in Russia on 11th October. YABLOKO, ELDR member
party, will present a list for the Moscow City Duma
headed by Sergei Mitrokhin (in the picture), leader
of the party and including Eugeni Bunimovich. "Now
we are steadily progressing in the election campaign,"
commented Mitrokhin who also deplored the fact that
opposition parties continue to be unfairly treated
in terms of a lack of access to the mass media in
Russia. Elections to the regional legislative bodies
will be held in Moscow, Tula region and Mari El Republic
where citizens will elect municipal heads and deputies
of local self-governing bodies. Municipal elections
will be held in Ingushetia, where voters will for
first time vote in such elections ever in this region.
For more information please see http://www.eng.yabloko.ru/Press/2009/0828ingush.html
and http://www.eng.yabloko.ru/Elections/regions/moscow-2009.html
Read more: www.eldr.eu
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