Grigory Yavlinsky becomes presidential
candidate from the YABLOKO party
Press Release
December 18, 2011
The majority (106 out of 109) delegates of the YABLOKO Congress
nominated Grigory Yavlinsky candidate for presidential elections
in Russia.
"The result of the [State Duma] elections leaves us
no doubt that we have far more than two million supporters
needed for the party to register in the presidential elections,
Grigory Yavlinsky said.
He also said that the election campaign is not a purely political
procedure, it is "a discussion with the citizens of a
possibility and a need of different policies that should be
conducted on different moral grounds".
"The result of the State Duma elections demonstrated
that alternative policy is in demand in the society. And this
should be moral and programmed based policies, he added.
YABLOKO have to participate in the presidential elections
also because "no one else will offer the society a programme
which implies full democratization of political life, creation
of permanent and efficient mechanisms of public control over
the government".
In particular, such programme by YABLOKO includes eight items:
adoption of new legislation on elections and political parties;
investigation into the activities of electoral commissions;
conducting new fair parliamentary elections; ensuring independence
of courts; mass-scale revision of judgments against unlawfully
convicted persons; return of gubernatorial elections; elections
to the Federation Council and elimination of control over
mass media.
"In other words, we should have the same law for everyone,
the court that will not obey to orders and money and protected
private property, said the politician.
According to Yavlinsky, the economic policy should envisage
creation of jobs and development of national industry, developing
and populating vast areas of land increasing comfort of living
conditions for millions of people. Government pressure on
business should be reduced. YABLOKOs economic strategy is
described in detail in the Land-Housing-Roads programme.
Yavlinsky also stressed that the army conscription should
be abolished and transfer to a professional contract based
army should be made.
Foreign policies must be freed from propaganda cliches and
myths of the Cold War era.
"We often watch documentaries and feature films about
our leaders of the past periods, about how they ruled the
country in a perverse way and for an immensely long period
of time, and how they developed their extremely negative reputation
in the history. We do not want our grandchildren thirty years
later to watch movies about our era and see the present leaders
as rogues, thieves, manipulators and criminals. And we do
not want our country to gain a reputation of a laughingstock
because of them. We must shift from definite personalities
and nomenklatura groups to democratic institutions, where
everyone will have a place. And we must do it immediately,
Yavlinsky said.
Grigory Yavlinsky: The winner is not the strongest, but
the one who goes all the way.
From the speech by Grigory Yavlinsky at YABLOKOs congress.
Quotations.
Today many people realise that what has happened at elections.
Only two parties an "any" party (Ed. reference
to the fact that all other parties participating in the elections
were Kremlins projects) and YABLOKO participated in the
recent elections. This "any" party got frightened
and won by means of dirty tricks and fraud. This was a carefully
planned crime. These people are known and will bear criminal
responsibility. If not right now, they will be punished later.
Our goal is a legitimate and non-violent change of power.
Without changing the government we can not overcome the system
of lie and corruption. Without changing the government we
will face hard times.
We will make power legitimate and democratic. That is why
we think that it is important to participate in the presidential
elections. Not to answer this challenge would mean demonstrating
weakness and irresponsibility.
I realise what a difficult campaign I am facing. But fear
and frustration means a defeat even before the start of the
campaign until the beginning of the fight.
We do not think that our party lost in the parliamentary
elections, so many honest and decent people voted for us that
we can say that under the circumstances, it is a victory -
the victory over doubts, fear, apathy and indifference. But
it was only the first round.
I conducted 36 boxing fights in my young years and learned
the key thing: the winner is not the strongest, but the one
who goes all the way, the one who is not frightened.
We know that the enemy is using dirty tricks, that he is
stronger and that the judges are bribed. But we will still
go all the way and will fight honestly.
And no one will be able to reproach us that we threw the
towel on the ring before the fight, got frightened and refused
to fight.
YABLOKO will participate in the presidential elections. And
I ask all of you to support us. If a fighter feels support
from the stands, his strength is doubled, and I know that
from my own experience.
We do not fear the enemy, we are not afraid of the bribed
judges, the mockery and ridicule. The only thing that can
knock us out of the saddle is lack of support from the people.
All other things only make us stronger. Therefore, we will
win!
