Press Release, 18.02.2026

Photo: Ivan Bolshakov at a meeting of the Yabloko’s Federal Council in 2025 / Photo: by the Yabloko Press Service

The Federal Bureau of the Yabloko party has put forward Ivan Bolshakov’s candidacy to the State Duma and the President for appointment to the new composition of the Central Electoral Commission (CEC). He has represented the party on the CEC since 2024.

The mandates of the current CEC members expire on 29 March. The commission’s 15 members are appointed on a parity basis by the Federation Council (on the basis of proposals submitted by the regions), the State Duma (on the basis of proposals from parliamentary groups), and the President.

“To ensure the independence of electoral commissions and fair elections, the CEC must be composed exclusively of representatives of political parties,” Ivan Bolshakov said. “Bureaucrats dependent on the executive branch will never have any interest in equal rights and opportunities for all participants in the electoral process.”

Ivan Bolshakov was born in Moscow in 1984. He is a political scientist and sociologist, and a member of the Russian Association of Political Science. From 2019 to 2023 he served as Deputy Chairman of the Yabloko party. He is currently a member of the Party’s Federal Political Committee and head of its Analytical Centre.