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Regional and Local Elections 2010
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Press releases
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...
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| About
11,000 deputies were elected unopposed at the recent
regional and municipal elections
Press Release, October 21,
2010
YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin,
finds it necessary to urgently abrogate the norm of
the law allowing to conduct elections with only one
candidate running. According to Mitrokhin, on October
10, 10,929 candidates obtained their deputies’
mandates after running unopposed at the recent regional
and municipal elections...
"The price of participation in
local elections is very high for independent candidates
– one can loose his or her job. However, there
are only a few chances to win over the administrative
resource. If we ban such upopposed elections, the
local organisations of the ruling United Russia party
will have to reduce their pressure on the opposition,"
Mitrokhin said... |
| Press
Conference in Stavropol on the results of regional
elections
Press Release, October 19,
2010
By the Press Service of the
Stavropol YABLOKO branch. A press conference
on the results of elections in the Stavropol Area
took place in the state television company Stavropolye
on October 13. Euvgeni Demyanov, Chair of the Stavropol
Electoral Commission, Azhdaut Ibragimov, director
of the Stavropol radio and heads of regional branches
of political parties participated in the press conference.
|
| European
liberals’ Congress discusses relations between
Russia and EU
Press Release, October 14,
2010
Today, on October 14, a congress by
the European Liberal Democrats party (ELDR) opened
in Helsinki. YABLOKO is a full member of ELDR. A welcoming
address to over 500 delegates of the Congress was
made by Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck MEP, ELDR President,
and Mari Kiviniemi, Prime Minister of Finland. In
her speech Mari Kiviniemi dwelled upon relations between
Russia and Finland stating that Russia was “the
key economic partner for Finland”. Prime Minister
of Finland expressed her opinion that one of the main
problems for Russia at present was overcoming Russia’s
dependence on raw. Mari Kiviniemi also expressed her
hope that Russian-Finnish cooperation will be broadening
in all the spheres: economy, education and culture,
humanitarian exchanges and other...
In his speech ... Sergei Mitrokhin
told about the situation with the recent elections
in Russia and also discussed a number of YABLOKO’s
foreign policy initiatives... |
| Elections
protocols were simply changed by local Administration
in Sergiyev Posad
Press Release and a video, October 13, 2010.
Sergei
Kryzhov, leader of Sergiyev Posad YABLOKO, forwarded
to the Public Prosecutor’s Office a video demonstrating
that Chair of one of the electoral commissions was
changing by hand the results of the voting in a corridor
of local Administration at night after the election.
Chair of Electoral Commission
No 2661 (village Zhuchki, Sergiyev Posad Distrcit)
at 4 o’clock in the morning is amending the
results of the voting. The action takes place in the
corridor of local Administration, where Territorial
Electoral Commission is also located. Sergei Kryzhov
filmed this on his camera.
The video demonstrates that the original
protocol has a stamp and signatures by electoral commission
members. Chair of the electoral commission is putting
at random figures into a fraudulent protocol and fakes
signatures of her colleagues. The video runs for two
minutes and after this Nadezhda Krivosheya, Secretary
of the Territorial Electoral Commission comes to her
rescue. According to Kryzhov, while the Secretary
was trying to find out what he was filming, the Chair
of the electoral commission took this time to disappear...
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| Violations
at elections in the Chelyabinsk region. United Russia
voters arrive by special coaches
Press Release, October 11, 2010.
...YABLOKO’s observers registered
mass-scale voting by absentee ballots. Early in the
morning on Sunday 405 people voted with absentee ballots
at polling station No 2029, and 300 people at polling
station No 2030. All these voters arrived to these
polling stations by special coaches (eight and ten
coaches respectively). The voters with absentee ballots
at polling station No 2029 tuned out to be workers
of the pipe plant and were dressed in workers uniform
and went to the voting booths by two or three... |
| YABLOKO’s
success at municipal elections in the Stavropol region
Press Release, October 11, 2010.
YABLOKO’s candidates Nikolai Kartzev,
farmer and chair of the local YABLOKO branch in the
Kursk district, and Alexander Noyev, school teacher,
chair of the local party branch in Budyonnovsky district
and member of the Council and Bureau of the regional
branch of YABLOKO, won a clear-cut victory at municipal
elections on October 10, 2010. |
| Chair
of the Pskov YABLOKO: “Honest elections in dishonest
environment took place in the Sebezhsky Distrcit of
the Pskov region”
Press Release, October 11, 2010.
In this election YABLOKO obtained
20.6 per cent coming second after the ruling United
Russia. Elections of the head
of the district and deputies of the Deputies Assembly
took place in the Sebezhsky Distrcit, Pskov region,
on October 10. This is for the
first time that elections in the district take place
in accordance with the mixed system: 8 deputies out
of 15 are elected on parties lists and 7 in single-mandate
electoral districts.
According to the preliminary results
of the voting published at the Central Electoral Commission
web-site, YABLOKO obtained 20.6 per cent of the votes
yielding only to the ruling United Russia (46.08 per
cent). The Communist party (CPRF) obtained 17.25 per
cent and LDPR – 10.59 per cent...
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| YABLOKO
participates in elections in ten Russian regions
Press Release, October 8, 2010.
Regional and local elections will
take place in many Russian regions on a single election
day – October 10.
YABLOKO nominated a list of candidates
for elections to the legislative assembly of the Chelyabinsk
region. YABLOKO’s candidate also runs for the
legislative assembly of the Novosibirsk region. In
nine more regions YABLOKO runs in municipal elections...
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| The
Council for Consolidation of Women’s Movement in Russia
supported YABLOKO’s candidates at regional elections
in the Chelyabinsk region
Press Release, September 29,
2010.
Yesterday, on September 28, a meeting
of the Council for Consolidation of Women's Movement
in Russia took place in Moscow. Galina Mikhalyova,
Chair of YABLOKO’s Gender faction and Co-Chair of
the Council, proposed a decision approved by the Council
to support YABLOKO’s candidates at regional elections
in the Chelyabinsk region.
It was noted that YABLOKO’s list in
the Chelyabinsk region was topped by women: Natalia
Mironova, a well-known environmentalist, and Fatima
Kobzhasarova, Chair of women's rights movement Fatihha.
The key slogans of the party campaign in the Chelyabinsk
region are "Politics Is Women's Business!"
and "For Women! For Protection of Environment!
For YABLOKO!”...
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| YABLOKO
registered for election race in the Chelyabinsk region
and Tomsk
Press Release, September 8,
2010.
On September 8, electoral commissions
announced registration of two YABLOKO election lists
– for elections to the Legislative Assembly
of the Chelyabinsk region and the City Duma of Tomsk...
In the Chelyabinsk region YABLOKO’s
list is topped by women – ecologist Natalya
Mironova and human rights activist Fatima Kobzhasarova.
The campaign will focus on environmental problems
that are very urgent in this region and women’s
rights. YABLOKO’s campaign
in Tomsk will lay emphasis on fight against corruption
– one of the most acute problems of the city.
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|
The
Chelyabinsk branch of YABLOKO submitted voters’
signatures for registration in the regional election
campaign
Press Release, August 30,
2010.
The Chelyabinsk branch of YABLOKO
submitted 15,000 voters’ signatures for registration
in election campaign to the legislative assembly of
the Chelyabinsk region. The Electoral Commission will
have to adopt a decision on registration of the party
in the elections within 10 days.
In this campaign YABLOKO plans to
focus on the environment, which is one of the most
acute problems in the Southern Urals. YABLOKO’s
list is topped by a well-known ecologist Natalya Mironova.
The second slogan of the campaign is “Politics
is Women’s Business!” This human rights
issue is led by human rights Activist Farima Kobzhasarova... |
|
The
Electoral Commission of the Chelyabinsk Region validated
YABLOKO's list of candidates for regional election
Press Release, August 17,
2010.
On August 17 the Electoral Commission
of the Chelyabinsk Region validated YABLOKO's list
of candidates for elections to the regional Legislative
Assembly. YABLOKO will have to collect 15,000 to confirm
its rights to participate in the October elections.
YABLOKO’s list in the part of regional elections
is topped by two renowned women: Natalya Mitronova,
Chair of the Southern Urals Movement For Nuclear Safety
and Fatima Kobzhasarova, Chair of the Chelyabisnk
City Women’s Movement Fatima...
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|
YABLOKO
launches election campaign in the Sebezhsky District
of the Pskov Region
Press Release, August 16,
2010.
..."In this campaign I am protecting
my team mates. This is a principled position, and
we had enough grounds for adopting of such a decision.
The YABLOKO party guarantees to all the members of
the team, candidates in elections in the Sebezhsky
District its political and legal protection. If needed
all the forces of the party, including applications
to regional and federal law enforcement bodies will
be involved for such a defence,” Schlosberg
said. He also added that pressure on elections commissions
is inadmissible and unlawful, and Russian law envisages
criminal persecution for such actions"...
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|
Women
top YABLOKO’s election list in the Chelyabinsk
region
Press Release, August 7, 2010.
Women topped YABLOKO’s list
of candidates for elections to the Legislative Assembly
of the Chelyabinsk region scheduled on October 10.
Such a decision was adopted by the regional conference
of the party which took place on August 7...The conference
also nominated Oleg Mukharlamov YABLOKO’s candidate
to the post of the head of Bredinskly District of
the Chelyabinsk Region...
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| Police
considers Sergei Mitrokhin’s calls to Governor Gromov
to resign as extremism
Press Release, April 10, 2010
Mass rally took place in Tuchkovo,
the Moscow region, on April 10. The election of the
new head of Tuchkovo was conducted under tough pressure
from the city administration composed our of United
Russia members. The election results have not been
recognised valid yet, as the residents of the area
voted for Viktor Alksnis who was in opposition to
United Russia...
The police considered Sergei Mitrokhin’s
calls to Governor Gromov to resign as extremism and
summoned Viktor Alksnis as organiser of the rally
to the local police department for explanations. Sergei
Mitrokhin and Viktor Alksnis gave their explanations
in the police department...
|
| A
rally in Tuchkovo, the Moscow Region, to demand resignation
of the Governor
Press Release, April 8, 2010
A rally that will be held with YABLOKO’s
support in Tuchkovo, the Moscow region, on Saturday,
April 10, will demand resignation of the Governor
of the Moscow Region Boris Gromov and will ask the
President to install order and lawfulness in the region.YABLOKO’s
leader Sergei Mitrokhin and deputy head of the Moscow
Region branch of YABLOKO Dmitry Ilyushin will participate
in the rally.
For three years the Moscow Region
has been deep in debt and ex Finance Minister of the
region has been under criminal investigation, YABLOKO
notes. Bureaucrats from the United Russia party has
been pressing small and medium businesses, and business
has been leaving the region and the number of unemployed
has been steadily growing. Housing and utilities sector
has been falling to pieces while tariffs on housing
and utilities skyrocketed...
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| YABLOKO
to apply to the Constitutional Court
Press Release, March 26, 2010
At its today’s meeting the Bureau
of the YABLOKO party adopted a decision to challenge
in the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation
the provisions of the federal law on elections binding
non-parliamentary parties to gather signatures so
that to get registration in election campaigns. YABLOKO’s
leader Sergei Mitrokhin had already mentioned the
party’s intention to do this. “The main
thing that we shall challenge is demonstrative inequality
of parties participating in the elections. This barbarian
inequality does not allow to recognise Russia as a
civilised country,” Mitrokhin said.
The Bureau also drew the results of
March municipal and local elections in Russia. The
decision of the Bureau marked that the results of
the recent elections showed growth of support to YABLOKO.
Thus, elections to the Tula municipal parliament demonstrated
that the share of YABLOKO’s votes grew from
3.25 per cent to 11.22 per cent in less than six months.
Four YABLOKO’s activists were elected to the
Tula City Duma. YABLOKO’s candidates also passed
to the deputies assembly of the Nevelsky area of the
Pskov Region and City Duma of Solnechny settlement,
the Tver Region...
|
| Election
results in Miass, Chelyabinsk Region
Press Release, March 24, 2010
Vassily Potapov, leader of the Miass
branch of YABLOKO, again won the election race to
the assembly of the Miass city district. At the first
meeting of the new assembly Potapov was unanimously
elected chair of the Commission on Regulations, Ethics
and Public Relations.
“My first deputy term was a
kind of credit of trust, by my second term I regard
as support of my views as regards organisation of
city governing and my initiatives on making the district
more comfortable,” Potapov said. “However,
it is a pity that my colleague Viktor Strutz did not
manage to win in his electoral district. It would
be more difficult for me to find support in the assembly
without his participation...”
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| Results
of local elections of March 14
Press Release. March 17, 2010
The
YABLOKO party obtained over 11 per cent of votes at
the Tula City Duma elections getting the right from
three to four mandates.
Also YABLOKO’s
list got 28.5 per cent of the votes at elections to
local legislative assembly of the Solnechny settlement,
the Tver region. At present YABLOKO’s deputies
are forming a faction YABLOKO – United Democrats
in the municipal parliament.
Olga Kurmanskaya,
Chair of Commission for Education, Culture and Social
Policies and Anatoly Makarov, pensioner and acting
deputy of the Astrakhan City Duma were supported by
YABLOKO and became deputies of the Astrakhan City
Duma getting 49 per cent and 67 per cent of the votes
respectively.
YABLOKO’s
list at elections to the local assembly of the Nevelsky
Area of the Pskov Region was supported by 7.58 per
cent of the voters (fourth place). Thus, the party
overcomes the barrier and obtains one mandate (as
nine mandates out of 17 are distributed in accordance
with party lists). Lawyer Svetlana Arsenyeva will
become a deputy from YABLOKO. |
| Bribing
of voters in Tula confirmed by statistical analysis
Press Release. March 15, 2010
Statistical analysis of the voting
in Tula at Sunday’s elections to the city parliament
demonstrates an obvious correlation between the percentage
of the votes obtained by the parties and the voters
turnover. The higher is the turnout at an electoral
district (a territory), the higher is the average
number of voters giving their votes for progovernmental
United Russia party, and, consequently, the lower
is the percentage for other parties.
This abnormal correlation is observed
both at breakdown of the votes as of polling station
and as of electoral district (territory). Such a correlation
is one more proof that United Russia was bribing voters. |
| Candidates
supported by YABLOKO get mandates in the Astrakhan
City Duma
Press Release. March 15, 2010
Two candidates – Anatoly Makarov
and Olga Kurmanskaya – supported by the YABLOKO
party got mandates in the Astrakhan City Duma. Both
Makarov and Kurmanskaya led in the vote in their electoral
districts getting 66.7 and 56.9 per cent of the votes,
respectively.
Other YABLOKO’s candidates –
Tatyana Semyonova, Igor Avdeyev and Oleg Alexeyev
– obtained from 7 to 18 per cent of the votes
failing to win the mandates.
“All the participants of the
electoral process mark the imitational character of
the election to the city parliament. All the results
of the voting have been falsified to a lesser of greater
extent: for example, there were cases when about 30
per cent of the electorate at one of the electoral
districts voted per-term and all for the same candidate,”
noted Vadim Monin, leader of
the Astrakhan branch of YABLOKO. |
| YABLOKO
obtains 11 per cent of the votes in Tula. Press
Release. March 15, 2010
YABLOKO obtained over 11 per cent
of the votes at parliamentary elections in Tula, which
gives a right of three or four mandates in the city
parliament. However, election campaign was accompanied
by multiple violations. Bribing of votes in favour
of the United Russia party was observed during pre-term
voting and multiple violations took place on the election
day.
YABLOKO’s list at the Solnechniy
settlement of the Tver Region obtained about 30% of
the votes.
YABLOKO’s list at elections
of the Assembly of the Nevelsky Area of the Pskov
Region is on the verge of overcoming the barrier,
however due to multirple fraud the data has not been
submitted to the GAS Vibory system (electronic election
data base) yet. Nevertheless YABLOKO’s activists
obtained 13 mandates in other municipal settlements
of the region.
Olga Kurmanskaya and Anatoly Makarov
supported by YABLOKO became members of the Astrakhan
City Duma obtaining 49 and 67 per cent of the votes
in the region electoral districts respectively.
YABLOKO will also get two mandates
in the Assembly of the Krasnokamsky Area of the Perm
Region. Svetlana Ivanova obtained over 55 per cent
of the votes in her district and Arkady Kolokolov
over 57 per cent.
Vassily Potapov, YABLOKO’s leader
in Miass of the Chelyabinsk Region, obtained about
50 per cent of the votes and was reelected deputy
of the Council of Deputies of Miass... |
| YABLOKO
participates in local elections in 15 Russia’s
regions.
Press Release. March 14, 2010
The YABLOKO party participates in
regional and municipal elections in 15 Russia’s
regions: Astrakhan, Voronezh, Kirov, Lipetsk, Tula,
Omsk, Pskov, Rostov, Tver, Chelyabinsk regions, Krasnoyarsk,
Perm and Khabarovsk areas, the Moscow region and St.Petersburg.
Chair of YABLOKO’s branch in
the Khabarovsk area Igor Khovansky runs at parliamentary
elections in the Khabarovsk area from YABLOKO.
YABLOKO’s activists also compete
for the posts of heads of two large municipal entities:
Igor Pershin runs for the Mayor of Shakhti, the Rostov
region, and Sergei Parvitsky runs for the post of
the head of the Shatura municipal area, the Moscow
region.
57 members of YABLOKO compete for
48 parliamentary mandates in the Tula city parliament.
YABLOKO’s list is topped by Sergei Filatov,
the present deputy of the city Duma.
A heated campaign has developed in
the Pskov region. YABLOKO’s candidates run in
12 municipal areas of the region.
However, electoral commissions of
the Kaluga and Sverdlovsk regions refused to register
YABLOKO in the campaigns to regional parliaments on
faked pretexts. |
| Tula:
violations at elections to the city parliament. Press
Release. March 14, 2010
Counting of votes at parliamentary
elections in Tula goes on. According to the preliminary
data YABLOKO obtains 13 per cent of the votes which
means three or four mandates in the city parliament.
At the same time observers have fixed multiple violations.
Thus, abnormally high voting outside
the polling station was observed at electoral district
No 421. About 400 people referring to this district
voted at home. YABLOKO’s observer Olga Ushakova
lodged a complaint so that the results of the voting
at this electoral district should be recognised void.
The electoral commission insisted on counting these
400 votes and threatened to expel her from the polling
station...
Polling station No 390 demonstrated
that about half of all the notifications of voting
at home (totaling 89) was received in a single pool
at 10 a.m... |
| Urgency
Resolution submitted by the YABLOKO party to the ELDR
Council. Rome, March 12, 2010.
Regional Elections in Russia
The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party, convening
in Rome, Italy on 12th March 2010:
Noting:
- The ELDR Party resolution “Russian Elections”
adopted in November 20092;
- That regional elections are taking place this Sunday
(14th March 2010) and ELDR’s member party, Yabloko
is not being allowed to run in the regions of Sverdlovsk
and Kaluga;
- That despite President Medvedev’s statements
on access to participating in elections, the Yabloko
Party continues to be discriminated against.
Calls on the Russian authorities to:
- Take urgent remedial measures in ensuring free and
fair elections and maximum public control over voting;
- Observe Russia’s obligations to ensure democratic
standards under its membership of the OSCE and the
Council of Europe.
Will:
- Raise this issue with the ALDE Groups in the Council
of Europe and the European Parliament. |
| Progovernmental
United Russia is buying off votes in Tula
Statement by the party Chairman.
March 12, 2010
The Russian United Democratic Party
YABLOKO is expressing its indignation with the situation
when the United Russia party has been openly and blatantly
violating the law at the Tula City Duma elections.
Mass-scale and virtually open bribing of voters has
been taking place in the city. A vote in favour of
the United Russia party costs from 400 to 500 roubles
at pre-term voting. About 10 per cent of the electorate
have already voted at eight polling stations (No 419,
423, 424, 428 – 432).
The Altair cable television channel
has been broadcasting a reel where those voting for
the United Russia party are guaranteed free subscription
to the channel.
Bribing of voters has been at polling
station No 52 was video recorded and confirmed by
the witnesses at the police station.
Such actions by the United Russia
party on the threashold of the election day make us
doubt the results of the overall voting in the city. |
| The
Supreme Court did not let YABLOKO to participate in
the election campaign in the Sverdlovsk Region
Press Release. March 12, 2010
The Supreme Court did not let YABLOKO
to participate in the election campaign to the regional
parliament in the Sverdlovsk Region. YABLOKO’s
complaint on the decision of the Sverdlovsk Region
Court (which ruled out the refusal of the regional
election commission to register YABLOKO is the race
was lawful) was not satisfied.
Thus, YABLOKO was not allowed to participate
in the regional elections. On March 9 the Supreme
Court also adopted the same decision on the complaint
of the Kaluga branch of YABLOKO. |
| YABLOKO’s
leader to meet with electorate in Tula
Press Release. March 11, 2010
Today, on March 11, YABLOKO’s
leader Sergei Mitrokhin will meet with electorate
in Tula.
Elections to the Tula City Duma will
take place on Sunday, March 14. YABLOKO’s list
is topped by the present deputy of the city parliament
Sergei Filatov. At this election 57 members of YABLOKO
will compete for 48 mandates.
The key topics for Sergei Mitrokhin’s
meeting with the voters will be transparency of the
tariffs and fight with corruption in the housing and
utilities sector, as restoration of lawfulness in
the sector has become the key slogan of YABLOKO’s
campaign in Tula.
|
| Mass-scale
buying of votes in favour of the United Russia and
the Just Russia party observed at pre-term elections
in Tula
Press Release. March 10, 2010
The Tula branch of YABLOKO recorded
a mass-scale buying of votes in favour of the United
Russia and the Just Russia party observed at pre-term
elections to the Tula parliament. A vote cast for
United Russia cost 500 roubles and a vote for the
Just Russia party cost 100 roubles.
Today, on March 10 at about 11 a.m.,
YABLOKO’s election headquarters received a telephone
call about a bribe of electorate at polling stations
No 369 and 370 located in school No 52. Several cars
were parked in the yard of one of the houses near
the school. Unknown persons from the cars first put
down the data of the voters and after their voting
gave money to them.
Sergei Filatov, one of the leaders
of YABLOKO’s election list and deputy of the
Tula parliament, arrived to the polling station and
discovered queues by the school building. He recorded
all he saw (see the recording), interviewed
the voter and also called the police.
|
| YABLOKO
to dispute the legitimacy of collection of signatures
in the Constitutional Court of the RF
Press Release. March 9, 2010
The Supreme Court of the RF refused
to annul the decision of the regional electoral commission
not to register YABLOKO at elections to the parliament
of the Kaluga region. YABLOKO is going to appeal to
the Constitutional Court of the RF with a claim to
abrogate the norms requiring a number of parties to
collect signatures so that to get registration at
election campaigns.
YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin
participated in the hearings in the Supreme Court
and said that the “decision of the Supreme Court
was arbitrary”. The Supreme Court did not consider
YABLOKO’s arguments, Mitrokhin added.
|
| Grigory
Yavlinsky visited the Astrakhan Region
Press Release. March 4, 2010
On March 3 member of YABLOKO’s Political
Committee made a visit to the Astrakhan Region within
the framework of election campaign to the Astrakhan
City Duma.
Grigory Yavlinsky had a meeting with
Governor Alexander Zhilkin. The Governor spoke in
detail about implementation of the long-term strategy
of socio-economic development of the region. “The
executive authority of the region has been working
in close contact with the Public Chamber of the region,
trade unions, deputies and representatives of political
parties,” Zhilkin noted. The Governor also showed
his interest in further cooperation with YABLOKO.
The Governor also highly assessed the work of the
representatives of YABLOKO in the Administration of
the region.
|
| Action
“Churov, it’s time for you to have a shave!”
led to arrest of YABLOKO’s activists
Press Release. March 3, 2010
Today, on March 3, YABLOKO conducted
a protest action against withdrawal of YABLOKO’s
lists of candidates from election race in the Kaluga
and Sverdlovsk regions by the Central Electoral Commission
office. A large balloon filled with helium took large
scissors up to the window of the cabinet of Vladimir
Churov, head of the Central Electoral Commission.
“Do I have to swear by my beard
that I shall do all I can so that elections [in Russia]
be honest? I swear!” said Vladimir Churov, Chair
of the Central Electoral Commission during broadcasting
at the REN TV channel on March 15, 2007. Activists
of the Youth YABLOKO’s reminded Vladimir Churov
of his oath. They also held a slogan by the Central
Electoral Commission office “Stop withdrawing
us from elections!” and demanded that Vladimir
Churov should come down from the office to them and
answer the questions. “We
have not witnessed such a situation before when our
party could be withdrawn from elections in two regions
simultaneously,” YABLOKO leader Sergei Mitrokhin
who also participated in the action told to the journalists.
“We have been patient for a long time as we
remembered Churov’s promise to guarantee honest
elections, however, now our patience is gone,”
he added.
|
| Sverdlovsk
Region branch of YABLOKO appeals to the Supreme Court
of the Russian Federation
Press Release. March 2, 2010
The Sverdlovsk Region branch of YABLOKO
filed an appeal in the Supreme Court of the Russian
Federation with a demand to abrogate the decision
of the Electoral Commission of the Sverdlovsk Region
which did not allow YABLOKO to run in the election
campaign to the Legislative Assembly of the Sverdlovsk
Region.
YABLOKO had already filed a complaint
to the Sverdlovsk Region Court with a plea to annul
the decision of the electoral commission denying YABLOKO
a registration in the race. The working group of the
electoral commission had announced that 56% of the
signatures collected in favour of YABLOKO and required
for registration in the elections be void. The regional
court had not left the decision of the electoral commission
without change.
|
| Non-registration
of YABLOKO in the regional elections: a hypocrisy
or a weakness of the presidential power?
Statement by the Bureau of
the YABLOKO party. February 27, 2010
Right after President Medvedev’s
statement made at the State Council meeting on the
need to
facilitate political competition and democratization
of the political system YABLOKO was cynically and
unlawfully withdrawn from elections to the legislative
assemblies of the Kaluga and Sverdlovsk regions, the
regions where YABLOKO enjoyed considerable support
from the electorate.
The signatures collected in support
of YABLOKO’s election lists were announced “invalid”
on
factitious unlawful grounds. The Chair of the electoral
commission of the Sverdlovsk region publicly announced
that signatures in support of YABLOKO would be recognised
invalid already when YABLOKO had only been collecting
these signatures. The electoral commission of the
Kaluga region made all it could so that not to allow
the leaders of the regional YABLOKO branch to participate
in the audit of the signatures.
YABLOKO’s lodging complaints
of such refusals in courts did not lead anywhere –
the courts, as well as electoral commissions, refused
to examine the evidence submitted by YABLOKO’s
activists... |
| Regional
Court did not let YABLOKO to participate in the election
campaign to the Sverdlovsk Region parliament
Press Release. February 26,
2010
Sverdlovsk Region Court left without
changed the decision of the Electoral Commission not
to register YABLOKO in the election campaign to the
Sverdlovsk Region parliament. The decision was adopted
yesterday night.
The working group of the electoral
commission basing on the graphological expertise recognised
56% of the signatures collected by YABLOKO in support
of its election list invalid.
The court heard only one expert who
explained that “he and his colleagues based
on their experience and qualification”. However,
he failed to give a detailed answer to a single question,
repeating that “such was the result of the expertise”.
|
| Kaluga
Region Court turns down YABLOKO’s claim regarding
registration of the party in the election campaign
Press Release. February 25,
2010
The Court of the Kaluga Region turned
down YABLOKO’s claim regarding registration
of the party in the election campaign to the regional
parliament.
The experts of the regional electoral
commission announced 600 signatures out of total 8,452
collected in support of YABLOKO’s list invalid
(at permissible number of defective signatures amounting
to 400). YABLOKO managed to prove in court that the
signatures were valid only in 77 cases, however, to
get registered the party had to obtain such a decision
on 201 signatures.
YABLOKO’s activist and deputy
of the Kaluga regional parliament Sergei Fadeyev who
participated in the trial on behalf of YABLOKO, said
that the electoral commission “had lied and
mixed everything up wherever possible”. YABLOKO’s
activists gave their reasoning for annulment of the
decision not to register YABLOKO’s list, however,
the court did not consider them “worthy of consideration”.
|
| YABLOKO
enters litigation disputing the decision of the regional
electoral commission
Press
Release. February 19, 2010
Litigation initiated by the YABLOKO
party disputing the refusal of the regional electoral
commission to register YABLOKO’s list in the election
race to the regional parliament began in the Sverdlovsk
Region Court on February 18...
The leader of Sverdolovsk YABLOKO
Maxim Petlin said “We have just begun our analysis
of the lists of signatures rejected by the commission,
as the commission have refused to give them to us
until this moment, we shall work throughout all the
four days-off [February 20-23] and I am sure that
by [the next hearings] February 24 we shall have a
lot of arguments supporting our position.” |
| The
hearings in the Kaluga Region Court to continue on
February 17, 2010
Press Release. February 17,
2010
YABLOKO’s litigation on the
cancellation of the resolution of the Regional Electoral
Commission turning down the registration of a of YABLOKO
and Joint Democrat’s list in the election race
to the regional parliament will continue on February
17. |
| Sverdlovsk
YABLOKO demands to annul the decision of the electoral
commission not to register YABLOKO in the election
race
Press Release. February 16,
2010
The Sverdlovsk region branch of YABLOKO
applied to the regional court demanding annul the
decision of the electoral commission not to register
YABLOKO in election race to the regional parliament.
YABLOKO’s activists provide
a list of violations made by the Regional Electoral
Commission in checking signatures collected by YABLOKO.
For example, graphology experts gave contradictory
conclusions concerning the same signatures: in first
group of experts acknowledged the signatures valid;
whereas the second group of experts found the same
signatures invalid. |
| Press
Conference Why Opposition Is Not Allowed to Participate
in the Elections
Announcement. February 15,
2010
Press conference Why Opposition Is
Not Allowed to Participate in the Elections will take
place in Interfax tomorrow, on February 16, at 2 p.m.
Speakers:
Sergei Mitrokhin, YABLOKO’s leader
Maxim Petlin, Chair of the Sverdlovsk branch of YABLOKO
and deputy of Ekaterinburg City Duma
Sergei Lazaryev, deputy of the Sverdlovsk Region Duma,
number two in YABLOKO’s list at the regional
elections.
Vladislav Morozov, Chair of the Kaluga branch of YABLOKO,
deputy of the Kaluga Region Duma.
Accreditation at tel. 7-495-250-88-32
(until 1 p.m. on February 16). Journalists should
show their credentials.
Address: Pervaya Tverskaya-Yamskaya, 2 (Mayakovskaya
metro station).
|
| A
shaking hand of the United Russia party
Press Release. February 10,
2010
“When they are ousting us from
the election race this means that they are afraid
of us!” said YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin.
On February 9, 2010, the Sverdlovsk Region Electoral
Commission with multiple violations of the law refused
to register YABLOKO in the election race to the regional
parliament.
The working group of the Electoral
Commission gave a conclusion based on a graphologic
expertise that 56% of the signatures collected by
the party and required for registration in the race
were “void”. However, the experts conducting
the handwriting comparison gave contradictory answers
virtually on all the lists. “Thus, the experts
acknowledged 2,000 signatures void on a pretext that
they had been made by a “shaking hand”,
stressed Maxim Petlin, Chair of the Sverdlovsk regional
branch of YABLOKO.
“Refusing to register YABLOKO’s
list in the Sverdlovsk region after a refusal to register
YABLOKO in the Kaluga region the authorities once
again confirm that there is no evolution of Russia’
political system towards democratization and political
competition,” stated YABLOKO’s leader
Sergei Mitrokhin. “We go on living under the
arbitrary rule of the bureaucrats servicing the interests
of their own party – United Russia.” |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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... |
| 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. |
| |
| Liberal
International. Newsletter. Issue 175
YABLOKO
faces obstruction during Russian regional election
During the Russian regional elections
on 14 March there were once again allegations of fraud
and manipulation in favour of ruling party United
Russia. Liberal International Full Member YABLOKO
was not allowed to participate in the regional parliamentary
elections in some regions where YABLOKO traditionally
obtained good results. YABLOKO leader Sergei Mitrokhin
commented on the elections: “We think that the
situation in Russia has been deteriorating. Our party
was not allowed to participate in regional parliamentary
elections in two regions (the Sverdlovsk Region and
the Kaluga Region), as Russian law contains a discriminatory
norm of collection of signatures for non-parliamentary
parties [which allows an] oppositional party [to]
be ousted from elections”. Despite the obstructions
to YABLOKO in the regional elections, on the threshold
of federal elections in 2011, the elections showed
rising support for the party on the local level. Elections
to the municipal assembly in Tula were especially
successful: despite alleged fraud in favour of United
Russia, YABLOKO obtained over 11 per cent in Tula,
considerably improving its previous result in this
city (3 per cent in autumn 2009).
|
| United
Russia Wins Regions, but Support is Visibly Down
The Moscow Times. March 15,
2010
...Golos, Russia's leading election
watchdog, said the election campaign was as dirty
as any in recent years, complaining of United Russia's
domination of the media.
The electoral commission blocked the
opposition Yabloko party from standing in two regional
votes after thousands of signatures collected by the
party were ruled invalid... |
| Opposition
Sidelined Ahead of Test of Medvedev's Election Pledges
The Moscow Times, March 12,
2010
By Alexander Bratersky
Despite Medvedev’s appeal for
smaller parties to participate, running in local elections
has become even harder, said Vladislav Morozov, head
of the Yabloko opposition party's branch in the Kaluga
region, located 160 kilometers southwest of Moscow.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court banned
the party from running for seats in the regional legislature,
citing problems with signatures the party collected
to be registered for the vote. Yabloko leader Sergei
Mitrokhin said the violations were minor, Noviye Izvestia
reported Wednesday.
Morozov is currently one of three
Yabloko deputies in the regional legislature, which
like most in Russia is dominated by United Russia.
Morozov complained that Kaluga Governor
Anatoly Artamonov, a member of United Russia is actively
campaigning for United Russia candidates and almost
daily appears on local television to endorse party
candidates.
“That reminds me of the times
of Brezhnev,” he said, referring to Soviet elections
when the Communists had a one-party monopoly. |
| European
liberals to discuss a visa-free regime between Russia
and the EU
ELDR Newsletter. March 4,
2010
Election
troubles in Italy and Russia
If on one hand Yabloko, Russia, is still struggling
against the Russian authorities because of its last
non-registration in the regional election race in
two key regions (please click here for more details),
on the other Radicali Italiani, scored a good goal
on the path of the rule of Law and protection of civil
rights.
The Italian party, after a careful investigation,
reported the numerous irregularities over the list
of the centre- right candidates in Rome and Milan-
two crucial strongholds of Berlusconi’s party
- and seeing them finally erased from the competition.
|
| The
Electoral Commission of the Sverdlovsk Region hampers
YABLOKO’s campaigning for mandates in the regional
parliament
UralInformBureau, Janaury
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. |
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