Yabloko launches collection of signatures against the abolition of direct elections of the mayor of Yakutsk
Press Release, 16.12.2024
Photo: Collection of signatures in the Yakutsk office of Yabloko / Photo by the regional branch of Yabloko
The regional branch of the Yabloko party in Yakutia announces a collection of signatures against the abolition of the direct elections of the head of Yakutsk, the capital of Yakutia. A bill on replacing of direct elections of the mayor of Yakutsk by appointing of the mayor was submitted to the parliament of the republic.
Amendments to the current law “On Local Self-Government in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)” provide for the election of the head of any municipality of the republic, including its capital, by any legal means. At present, the law provides for the only legal method – direct elections. The Explanatory Note to the bill states that the current procedure of direct election of the mayor by citizens “may negatively affect the socio-economic development of an individual municipality”.
Yabloko believes that the cancellation of elections will lead to a decrease in the responsibility of city authorities to residents, which will worsen the quality of governance. The appointed mayor will be guided by the interests of Moscow protégés and lobby groups, ignoring the opinion of city residents, which will create favorable conditions for corruption and destroy local self-government. Moreover, after the cancellation of mayoral elections in Yakutsk, the elections of district heads will be canceled, and then the elections of the head of the republic.
Yakutsk Yabloko appeals to the residents of the republic to help to call off the bill, “Friends, if we do not stop this now, we will first lose our capital, and then the entire Republic. Let’s protect our rights and our land together!”.
A signature collection point is open at the Yabloko office until 28 December. Then the work will be resumed on 6 January, 2025.
It should be noted that on 24 November, the Yakutsk branch of Yabloko held a legal rally against the cancellation of direct elections of the city mayor. Immediately after the rally, the leader of the regional branch of the party, Anatoly Nogovitsyn, was taken to the police station, where a report was drawn up against him for “violation of the established procedure for organising or holding a rally” (Article 20.2 Part 1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses). Later, the Yakutsk City Court fined Nogovitsyn 10,000 roubles for moving inside the agreed place during the permitted rally. A complaint against the court’s decision was filed with the Supreme Court of the Republic.
Posted: December 24th, 2024 under Elections, Freedom of Speech, Governance, Human Rights, Regional and Local Elections, Regional policies and Local Self-Governing, Yabloko's Regional Branches.