Press Release, 27.07.2022

Photo: Anna Cherepanova / Photo by the Yabloko Press Service

On 27 July, Anna Cherepanova, a candidate for Governor of the Novgorod region from the Yabloko party, submitted documents for registration to the Electoral Commission, despite the fact that she was unable to collect the required number of signatures from municipal deputies needed for registration in the race. According to the candidate, the administration of the Novgorod Governor Andrei Nikitin, who is being re-elected for a new term, used unscrupulous technologies in order to prevent Yabloko’s representative from running in the gubernatorial elections. Anna Cherepanova spoke about the violation of her rights as a candidate and rights of all voters of the region at the round table of the Public Chamber of the Novgorod Region.

Anna Cherepanova stated that she would not recognise the election of the Governor due to fraudulent collection of signatures of municipal deputies. According to Cherepanova, the signatures of municipal deputies for the incumbent Governor and those candidates who had been agreed with the authorities were collected in a quantity significantly higher than required for registration. Moreover, most of the signatures of municipal deputies were collected within two days simultaneously in the entire region and the day before the nomination of a candidate from Yabloko. By law, each municipal deputy can only sign for one candidate. Thus, Anna Cherepanova simply could not have enough votes of “non-engaged” municipal deputies who could sign for her.

In addition, the municipal deputies, with whom Anna Cherepanova spoke, said that officials from local administrations organised collection of signatures for certain candidates: mobilisation and distribution of municipal deputies’ votes among the candidates approved by the authorities, and ensured that municipal deputies confirmed their signatures with notaries.

Anna Cherepanova, Chair of the Novgorod Yabloko, said that the regional branch of Yabloko considered  the gubernatorial election a political fraud and a deceit of voters, and saw no point in sending observers to the gubernatorial election on the voting days in September, as the outcome of the election was predetermined, however, Yabloko observers would work at the polling stations where Yabloko candidates run in the regional and municipal elections.

“We can put the word “election” in quotation marks, because this is not an election. This is a show, which is expensive for taxpayers, so that to reappoint the incumbent Governor Andrei Nikitin, and candidates from the pro-Kremlin parties have agreed to participate in this show as extras. Nevertheless, I applied for registration. First, because it is a tribute to all the deputies who supported my nomination and signed in support. Second, we are working with lawyers on the possibility of challenging the elections in court. And finally, we never give up without a fight,” Anna Cherepanova commented.

Anna CHEREPANOVA

is a member of the Federal Bureau of Yabloko, Chair of the Novgorod regional branch of the party. Deputy of the Novgorod Duma