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”.
Another amendment submitted by Sergei Mitrokhin in the final
resolution referred to assessment of the military conflict
between Russia and Georgia in August 2008. The initial paragraph
of the resolution laid all the blame for the developments
in the South Ossetia and escalation of the conflict on the
Russian side only. This version of the resolution also restated
the conviction of the LI “that the integration into NATO of
aspiring states such as Georgia will contribute further to
democratisation and stabilisation on the European continent”.
Mitrokhin managed to persuade the congress to cut this abstract
from the final resolution, as well as one-sided accusations
of the Russian side only in the conflict. Mitrokhin’s amendment
stated that both the sides did not take proper steps for reduction
of tensions. The congress also called Russia and Georgia to
“to refrain from hasty political steps and statements leading
to further escalation of tensions. LI calls all parties involved
to guarantee the human rights of all civilians who suffered
from the conflict.”
On the initiative of YABLOKO’s leader the congress also adopted
a separate resolution on election fraud in Russia on October
11, 2009.
Expressing its concern in view of “unprecedented falsifications
of the elections results and violations of the law, which
was confirmed by observers from all the political parties
except for the ruling party” the congress called the Russian
authorities to 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.
The congress also called the Russian authorities to “conduct
a complex 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 the election fraud, as
well as take urgent remedy measures up to recognising the
elections void, and conduct new elections”.
See also:
Moscow
City Duma Elections, 2009
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
Election
fraud at the Moscow City Duma elections. From the Live Journal
of Igor Yakovlev, Press Secretary of the YABLOKO party
Violations
at the Moscow City Duma elections. Press Release. October
12, 2009
Human
Rights
YABLOKO
Sister-Parties
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