Photo by the Yabloko Press Service

The Moscow Electoral Commission has formed territorial electoral commissions in Moscow for the next five years. For the first time in Yabloko’s 33-year history, not a single one of the 127 territorial electoral commissions of Moscow will have a party representative, announced Moscow Yabloko Chairman Kirill Goncharov.

In connection with this, Goncharov has sent a letter to Olga Kirillova, Chair of the Moscow Electoral Commission, demanding an explanation for such a decision. Goncharov states that such a decision will obviously have a serious impact on elections in Moscow and on how the electoral process (which has been already discredited) is perceived by Moscow residents:

“It is clear that whatever motivated the Moscow Electoral Commission, such a decision will negatively affect the interaction between civil society and the city authorities, will not help build Muscovites’ trust in elections, and will undermine their already low legitimacy.”

Goncharov also emphasises that Moscow Yabloko will continue to defend the need for honest, transparent and comprehensive oversight of elections, “including by putting forward candidates as members of electoral commissions”.

It should be noted that Yabloko had 44 representatives in the territorial electoral commissions of Moscow formed for the period from 2020 to 2025. Among other things, Yabloko representatives had the opportunity to participate in organisation of elections, monitor observance of voters’ rights (and record violations), and participate in forming precinct electoral commissions.