The leader of Yabloko, Grigory Yavlinsky, declared that in the new Duma the Yabloko faction would not join other blocs and would continue to assert its principled policies on the most urgent political and economic issues.

"The election results allow us to form a worthy faction in the State Duma, where we shall continue to assert the interests and values that we similarly protected in the past. We shall preserve our independence and will not cling to anyone and shall go our own way. This is our principled position", said Yavlinsky in an interview with the "Segodnya" newspaper (December 21, 1999).

When the faction is formed, Yavlinsky is relying on deputies that were elected to the Duma in single mandate constituencies. According to Yavlinsky, some of the independent deputies (that did not join any party) supported by Yabloko during the election campaign will join his faction in the new Duma.

Yavlinsky also stressed that Yabloko enjoys the longest experience of work in the State Duma. "Moreover, if we base things on the (preliminary) results that we have just heard, the communists will no longer hold control over Duma. In this new situation Yabloko will clearly quickly find its place and play its role", said Yavlinsky.

Yavlinsky also expressed his satisfaction with the work that the party had conducted in the pre-election period. In particular, he pointed out that Yabloko had submitted its "alternative budget for 2000", had proposed what needed to be done in the economy, submitted its plan for regulating the situation in the Northern Caucasus and spoke out about "the possible development of a catastrophic situation there".

Yavlinsky was also satisfied that Yabloko had won the case in the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation on the illegal actions committed by the Governor in St Petersburg, which resulted in the abolition of the pre-term elections of the St Petersburg Mayor, that had been scheduled for December 19, 1999.