"Vote for anyone but the [ruling] United Russia!
", this is how Alexei Navalny tried to persuade people
on the threashold of the State Duma elections [in December
2011]. Such a variant of voting was supported then by Eunegia
Chirikova, Grigory Golosov, Andrei Buzin, Artemiy Troitsky,
Grigory Chkhartishvili [Boris Akunin] and others.
A large part of the protest electorate followed that advice,
thus the Just Russia and the Communist party candidates got
into the Duma (whereas their results were much higher than
they had expected). However, YABLOKO did not get into the
Duma, as many people chose to vote for the Just Russia so
that not to vote in vain. And another part of those who
could have supported the democratic opposition and get it
into the Duma spoiled their ballots tempted by persuasions
by Boris Nemtsov, Vladimir Ryzhkov, Viktor Shenderovich, Dmitry
Bykov, Andrei Piontkovsky and others to choose the off with
all of you strategy. Which, as I recall, its authors proudly
called "a real threat to the government" and "the
only correct strategy leading to a change of government and
restoring of fair elections"...
A year has passed, and that the Duma adopts the "law
of scoundrels" [i.e. the law on orphans]. [The ruling]
United Russia and Vladimir Zhirinovskys faction and the communists
and the Just Russia factions vote in unison on a single impulse:
420 of 450 votes "for" the law is almost an unprecedented
result for parliament. Everything is clear with the Zhirinovskys
faction and the communists. But some people vested hopes in
the [socialist] Just Russia. But how did the latter vote?
52 deputies out of 64 Just Russia deputies voted for the law.
The overwhelming majority. Including, in particular, [faction
leader] Sergei Mironov (now say farewell to your reputation,
Sergei Mikhailovich), Levichev, Mizulina (who once left YABLOKO
for SPS and then to the Just Russia), Moskalkova, Mikheyev,
Belyakov, Goryacheva, Greshnevikov, Nilov, Drapeko, Lomakin-Rumyantsev
(with the first group of disability, can you believe that
he was unaware of what he was doing depriving handicapped
orphans to get new families in the USA?). The following deputies
were against the law: Ponomariov, Gudkov, Ozerov and Petrov.
Dmitrieva, Grachyov, Khovanskaya, Ushakov and some other did
not vote (thanks at least for that, although they could have
voted against).
The present Duma does not have the parties that could as
YABLOKO which has toughly criticized the draft law vote
against it. Well, for this we can say "thank you"
to those who a year ago obeyed to the calls to vote for "anyone
but the ruling United Russia."
Have you voted for "anyone" but the ruling party?
Now get the consequences.
And the consequences are here.
See also:
The
original publication
Human
Rights
Sanctions
against Russian orphans. Grigory Yavlinsky's
Live Journal, December 19, 2012.
State
Duma’s revenge on the US affects only Russian orphans.
Statement by YABLOKO Chairman, December 18,
2012.
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