YABLOKO's representatives will not participate in the SPS Congress scheduled to start in Moscow on September 8, 2003.

The Press Secretary of the YABLOKO faction in the State Duma Sergei Loktionov stated on September 7, 2003, that YABLOKO's position to the Union of Right-Wing forces regarding the preservation of the agreements on the coordination of candidates from both the parties in single-mandate electoral districts at the forthcoming parliamentary elections had been expressed in the Address of the YABLOKO Congress to the SPS Congress which was adopted today.

Loktionov also pointed out to journalists that the SPS had violated these agreements, but added that there was still time to correct these mistakes. YABLOKO is not cancelling its agreements with the SPS, as was confirmed by YABLOKO's congress today. YABLOKO hopes that the delegates of the Union of Right-Wing Forces Congress will adopt the same decision, said Loktionov. He also expressed the hope that YABLOKO's address will be voiced at the SPS Congress tomorrow.

The mass media reported the plans of the SPS to invite to its Congress YABLOKO's leaders to coordinate the positions of both the parties regarding their candidates in single-mandate districts.

Based on Interfax reports.

See also:

Address of the 11th Congress of the Russian Democratic Party YABLOKO to the Congress of the Union of Right-Wing Forces Party. Moscow, September 7, 2003.

11th Congress of YABLOKO

YABLOKO and SPS

State Duma elections 2003