Radio KP, programme “The State Duma 2016: Reload”, 19.05.2016

Yakovlev:

– Good evening! I am pleased and have the honour to introduce you our today’s guest – Emilia Slabunova, Chair of the YABLOKO party. Emilia Edgardovna, thank you for coming to our studio.

Slabunova:

– Good evening!

Yakovlev:

– What are the goals of the YABLOKO party, the most authoritative democratic liberal party in our country in the upcoming elections?

Slabunova:

– Our main goal in the upcoming elections is to win. Creation of a faction in the State Duma will be a victory for us.

Yakovlev:

– Overcoming the five percent barrier?

Slabunova:

– Absolutely.

Yakovlev:

– It is already clear what the party list will look like? I mean the top three persons. Or there will be one top person on the list, like Sergei Mironov [Chair] of the Just Russia party? Or will it be the top ten?

Slabunova:

– We are currently discussing the list.

Yakovlev:

– What are your predictions? Who will top the list?

Slabunova:

– Grigory Yavlinsky [YABLOKO founder].

Karmanov:

– Our programme was created with the purpose to re-introduce people, make people think about who represents what on the political horizon… I think part of our audience was somewhat surprised when [we were introducing] the Chair of the YABLOKO party, and they suddenly heard a woman’s voice, not the voice of Grigory Yavlinsky everyone got used to.

Yakovlev:

– Or the voice of Sergei Mitrokhin, who has been chairing the YABLOKO party for a long period.

Karmanov:

– And this female voice will be an event for many. As far as I understand it has been six months yet, six month will be in June, since your election.

Slabunova:

– It will be six months in June.

Karmanov:

– And exactly at that time, in June, congresses will be held, where parties will nominate their candidates [to run in the parliamentary election], and so on, how do you evaluate [your performance] for those six months, how do you feel in the role of a party leader? And, let us say, not an easy party.

Slabunova:

– I feel very good in these four and a half months. We have a wonderful party. This is a good team. People who think in the same way. We are now very actively preparing for the elections. I try to inspire all to win. I understand that the two electoral cycles when our party was not in the Duma, is annoying for members of our party. And not only for them. Probably, [it is like this] for our supporters too. So we are heading for victory.

Karmanov:

– So you have also a difficult mission – to return [to the parliament].

Yakovlev:

– You know, I would like to tell you shortly about our guest. You have a very decent biography. You have been a teacher of history and social science for long, and then director of a lycee. And now you are an MP in the Legislative Assembly of the Republic of Karelia. You were the prime candidate at the election of the mayor of Petrozavodsk, it is a very important detail. And you were removed [by the Electoral Commission from the race]. Many recognised that it was, certainly, an administrative decision – to remove our today’s guest from the election race. But in the end Galina Shirshina won, [she is now] one of the most famous mayors in our country. And it is largely your achievement.

And why don’t they give you all the reins [putting you of the top of the election list]? Why again Yavlinsky? With all due respect to him … So many times he ran and lost so many times. Because you, from the point of view of politics, are much more promising, are of interest to ordinary people, who want to see new faces. And you are the Chairperson, but the list is topped by Yavlinsky.

Slabunova:

– Because the party has decided to nominate Grigory Yavlinsky for the presidential elections in 2018 or earlier if the elections suddenly take place earlier. It is for this reason that we believe that it is right that the list in the elections to the State Duma should be topped by Grigory Yavlinsky.

Karmanov:

– But it how it would be, if a woman could finally appear among candidates in the elections of 2018.

Slabunova:

– But we have women among the candidates [to the parliament], including the woman who is called Emilia Slabunova, she will be there by all means.

Yakovlev:

– How do you renovate the party? We hear that the party has a new chairman. And how is the [election] list formed?

Slabunova:

– We are currently very active both in the formation of the entire list of candidates and the formation of our election program, and update all channels of communication with our wonderful voters, build active work on social networks and promote our team. Renovation takes place in many different fields, we are actively engaged in our information policy.

The list is formed from members of the party, and in accordance with the principles of our coalition policy that we announced. We invite to cooperation all those interested in the development of our country, that it would have future, everyone focusing on democratic values. And according to these principles our candidates emerge in the negotiation.

Yakovlev:

– How will you build your relationship with the so-called non-systemic opposition? Since Mikhail Kasyanov [a leader of the Parnas party] and [politician and blogger] Alexei Navalny failed to reach an agreement and quarrelled. Maybe you somehow communicate with Alexei Navalny? And with other members of the so-called Bolotnaya Square protest, so to say?

Your goal is, and please to correct me if I am wrong in quoting you, to create a faction, which means to overcome the five percent barrier. And what about single-mandate constituencies? What interesting persons will run there? What are your plans? How many victories do you plan to win? And whether the party has formed the list of single-mandate candidates from YABLOKO?

Slabunova:

– The list of single-mandate candidates has not been finalised yet, it is in the process of formation. We conduct negotiations. You have already heard of a number of very bright and interesting candidates, such as Dmitry Gudkov and Vladimir Ryzhkov, Dmitry Nekrasov and Julia Galyamina, and Igor Nikolayev. This list will be…

Yakovlev:

– Can I explain to ordinary people? Igor Nikolayev is a well-known economist, professor of Higher School of Economics, and not the Igor Nikolayev [singer and composer], some people who are not very familiar with politics may think about.

Slabunova:

– Galina Shirshina [ex-Mayor of Petrozavodsk, capital of Karelia].

Yakovlev:

– Mayor of Petrozavodsk. She will run despite all the local conflicts [with the Governor and her following dismissal by local deputies], she will run…

Slabunova:

– Now I am naming not only candidates for single-mandate constituencies. We are currently thinking how Galina Shirshina will participate in the elections [either in a single-mandate constituency or on the party list] and we will solve this issue.

And according to our content plan, we will be keeping our voters informed as to who will appear on our list. I think that we will please our voters [with these names].

Yakovlev:

– Will there be more famous persons?

Slabunova:

– Yes, there will.

Karmanov:

– I have a big request to voters so that we could specifically identify some items that are central for the YABLOKO party. I would like to understand at least from three to five points, what a voter can expect. YABLOKO is an old party. In general we realize what it is about, but what is YABLOKO-2016? What is it? What does it advocate?

Slabunova:

– First, YABLOKO is the only real opposition party today. Second, YABLOKO is a party focused on the European trajectory of development in accordance with the civilizational basis, on which Russian statehood and the Russian people were formed. YABLOKO is a party defending democratic values. This party always speaks to the voters and the entire population of our country very honestly. It will never abolish its views and values because of the changing political conjuncture. It is the party focused on people and protection of their interests.

Yakovlev:

– Can I then just elaborate on this? These are the questions that are basic for the political system. What is your attitude to Russian President Vladimir Putin?

Slabunova:

– The attitude is simple. The country is in crisis. Moreover, the crisis is often presented to us as an economic crisis, but the crisis is systemic. And it affected absolutely all the spheres of life: the economy, the political, the social, the cultural, the human-anthropological sphere, governing and technology. And who is to blame for this systemic crisis? Naturally, the person who is in control.

Yakovlev:

– Should he resign?

Slabunova:

Yes, he should.

Yakovlev:

– Some of your colleagues in the right-wing who are maybe not incorporated in a political party, but nevertheless, they think that the country needs a revolution. Because otherwise, Putin will not go away. What is your attitude to this thesis?

Slabunova:

– It is extremely negative. We strongly disagree with this position. In our country we have had enough revolutions. There is another and, in our view, the only correct and possible way for our country – elections. This is a peaceful, legitimate and legal way. We believe it fundamentally important that on [the voting day of] 18 September 2016 every citizen of Russia would rise from the couch and went to the polling station. In no case should he leave his ballot, as, I would put it rudely, swindlers supporting the authorities would make use of such ballots. Because these not filled-in ballots give…

Yakovlev:

– But the swindlers playing in the hands of the government, as I understand it, are Ella Panfilova [newly appointed head of the Central Electoral Commission and ex Russia’s Ombudsperson for Human Rights]?

Slabunova:

– No.

Yakovlev:

– Do you consider her be a swindler? What is your attitude to the fact that she is now leading the Central Electoral Commission?

Slabunova:

– Quite positive. I attended the first meeting of the Electoral Commission and the voting for Ella Panfilova. I had the opportunity when working in the Republic of Karelia, that she [as then Ombudsperson] was very attentive and took effective measures in some cases connected, for example, with the arrest of [YABLOKO’s politician] Olga Zaletskaya and Alexandra Kornilova. She immediately took measures so that to resolve this issue.

It is essential that all citizens should come to the polling stations and took the ballot. Even it they want to express their protest [and abstain from voting], they can write about everything they disagree with in the bulletin. But this bulletin should not be left unused. Otherwise we, unfortunately, can see a negative scenario [of election fraud when these left unfilled ballots will be used for stuffing for the ruling party]. The crisis situation we are in can not remain such for an indefinitely log period. It will come to its logical conclusion. The worst variants will be if people go out in the streets to protest. Or it will be a coup inside the elites, which also can end in nothing good. no good end. Both the variants are highly undesirable. There should be only legal way through elections.

Karmanov:

– But the authorities have recently undertake much effort so that elections become more legitimate, transparent, open and honest. At least, efforts are being made. They declared. And even some inner struggle with the bureaucracy takes place. How do you assess the government’s efforts to return to honest elections? Such a touch of honesty.

Slabunova:

– You have already answered this question.

Karmanov:

– At least…

Slabunova:

– That it is a ‘touch of honesty’. When I was talking about the political crisis, one of its manifestations is a crisis of social institutions, including the institution of elections. In the situation when we do not have political competition, when there is no equal access for all political forces to the media, it is very difficult to ensure sound, normal, free and fair elections.

Karmanov:

– Why not? You are with us in this studio.

Slabunova:

– Especially when the system is now completely focused on self-preservation only, it takes every effort to ensure this self-preservation. Therefore, there were falsifications [in elections], and we have no illusions that they will take place in this election. That is why we have to put a barrier to this possible fraud.

Now I receive information on how they are prepared. For example, in the Republic of Karelia there are settlements where only two or three people live. And suddenly the number of voters begins to grow of a mass-scale. And election result will suddenly demonstrate 200-300 ballots instead of two. This is one of the methods. That’s why I drew attention of the public already in my speech at the Central Electoral Commission that strict control over the registration of voters should be one of the areas where the Central Electoral Commission must ensure in order to work for honest elections.

Yakovlev:

– What can you offer? I love to ask this question. We have looked through the key issues. Do you think that the authorities, in particular, the President, are to blame for the crisis, not only economic, but also the cultural one. He should resign. At the same time, you are against the revolution. And call all to come to the polling stations.

Slabunova:

– Absolutely.

Yakovlev:

– What should be done with the economy? What are the key answers to this question? What can you offer?

Slabunova:

– The economy needs to be developed. It needs to be pulled out of the crisis. Unfortunately, today the situation is such that the crisis which is of a systemic nature does not allow to get the economy out of the crisis by purely economic methods. Now we observe that the politics has suppressed the economy. Figuratively speaking, it is impossible to cure appendicitis with mustard plasters. It is necessary to systematically work over this issue. And this can be done only through a change of government.

Yakovlev:

– Do you mean that the government should resign?

Slabunova:

– Not only the government. We are well aware that the government is not independent in its economic policy.

Yakovlev:

– Who should head [the government] then?

Slabunova:

– To begin with I would like to answer your first question. But even in these conditions, under this systemic crisis, the economic policy might have been different. It should not have led to a deadlock. How? First of all, we should support the domestic market and domestic demand. We see that now real incomes have dropped by ten per cent, the purchasing power has reached the lowest peak for the past 15-20 years. The consumer demand has never dropped that low. Everything is done to make the situation even worse. The government have abolished indexation of pensions for working pensioners, the process of optimisation in the public sector has been going on, but where does it lead? I will give you a small example. For instance, the own revenues of the Republic of Karelia totaled 16 billion roubles a year ago, 7 billion out of this amount in the subsidised region account for personal income tax. Personal income tax is the main budget tax in all such [subsidised] regions. Next, 40 per cent out of these 7 billion rubles received from the personal income tax represent personal income tax from public sector workers. As you can see, when we cut more workers and their wages due to optimisation, we thereby reduce [regional] budget revenues from personal income tax. And this pushes the situation further to the deadlock.

What has been happening in the labour market? According to [Deputy Prime Minister] Olga Golodets, the shadow sector accumulates 40 per cent of the working population, so 40 per cent out of 76 million of the economically active population are in the shadow, as she told us. This means that we get very little taxes. What is the way out of it? Urgent adoption of the law on self-employment, so that people can [legally] work obtaining a patent.

And another methods. If we have no investors in the situation we are in, please open the borders to foreign tourists. Simplify the visa regime. I myself, as an MP, spoke in the State Duma on this issue last year, that we need to do it as soon as possible. Foreign tourists, given the present [low] rouble/euro exchange rate, will come here with money. And will support our small businesses: hotels, catering, transport, trade and so on. These are basic methods.

Yakovlev:

– A very important question, fundamental to our political system. I understand that the official stance of the YABLOKO party is that Russia annexed Crimea… Could you explain your stance? Is Crimea part of Russia or not?

Slabunova:

– Here is how do you want me to respond? Emotionally or rationally?

Yakovlev:

– Look! You are Chair a political party! As you see fit!

Slabunova:

– Great!

Yakovlev:

– And does emotional and formal differ for you?

Slabunova:

– I will explain you now. Emotionally Crimea in the soul of each of us. As a child I spent a lot of time there on vacation with my family. I spent my honeymoon in Crimea. We are all worried about everything that has been happening in Crimea, first of all, for the residents of Crimea. But we have understand the consequences that occur at such events.

Yakovlev:

– Your emotional point of view is clear. And what about the other one?

Slabunova:

– International isolation in which we find ourselves, we have surrounded ourselves with enemies. The feeling other peoples feel to us is fear, and nothing else.

Yakovlev:

– I asked you another question… Was Crimea was annexed?

Slabunova:

– Yes. It was annexed. Certainly. It is the annexation of Crimea, for which several generations of our children and grandchildren will be paying big price, trying to restore the reputation of our country. Unrecognised borders. You know, the French have a saying: a barrel from under the herring will always be smelling like herring. Taking back a present (Ed. As Crimea was part of Russia, and was presented by USSR head Nikita Khruschyov to Ukraine in 1954) – is much worse and embarrassing than take away someone else’s.

Yakovlev:

– You know, I have relatives living in Crimea. And when there was the day of the referendum [on joining Russia on 16 March 2014], where, as you know many people voted for reunification with Russia. Somehow you do not speak about this referendum. There came even very old women over 90 who hardly go out at all. And they come an hour before opening of the polling stations of the referendum, so that to be able to return to Russia. You would tell them that Crimea was annexed?

Slabunova:

– Alexander…

Yakovlev:

– Can you tell them that Crimea was annexed?

Slabunova:

– Of course. But Alexander, the results of the referendum should receive international recognition. It is very easy to do it. To negotiate with other states, agree at the negotiating table with them on how to resolve this situation. How to hold a referendum so that it would be recognised by the international community. And all this conflict situation will be over.

Yakovlev:

– Do you really think that the international community will support another referendum, where 99 per cent already [will support reunification] after cutting off power by Kiev… That the international community will support the reunification of Russia and Crimea?

Slabunova:

– All parties are interested so that the conflict is exhausted and the situation is resolved. We live in the twenty-first century. This is a civilisation of treaties. We need to sit down at the negotiating table and work out a plan to address this situation. Why are we so aggressive in our resistance not to do that? It is easy! Sit down at a round table and agree on how we together will come out of this situation.

Yakovlev:

– Do you think that you can negotiate with the West? Which supports Poroshenko and Co?

Slabunova:

– You can negotiate. And you can find those ways in which the conflict will be resolved.

Karmanov:

– And it is likely that within your party there emerges a discussion or someone will take over in the party like, for example, the party the party of peace and that of war inside a party? And some other people will take over in the party? And the party’s stance will change. Is such a scenario likely?

Slabunova:

– The party has different discussions going on. I would not say that the party’s stance on this issue may change…

Karmanov:

– Let us continue about Crimea and about foreign policy situation in general. Do I understand correctly that we need to immediately make peace with all so that to achieve economic well-being of our country? And to sit down at the negotiating table.

Slabunova:

– Yes. We believe that our present foreign policy have, unfortunately, already replaced the domestic policy. There is no domestic policy as such. And foreign policy, its efficiency, is determined by the number of friends, and not by the number of enemies. And if we introduce such a criterion of the efficiency of foreign policy activities, we will then be able to easily draw conclusions.

We realise that today the impression is such that our government is interested in increasing the number of enemies. Because this probably allows them to divert attention of citizens from serious economic problems. And not only economic. Today our local self-governing has been virtually eliminated. If we look at what local budgets are, when there is, for example, only 3,000 roubles (Ed. Approximately 40 Euro ) left in the local budget of the city per resident, we realize what roads can be built or repaired with this money, whether it is possible to rehouse people from dilapidated housing, and built new kindergartens. And the situation is such, unfortunately.

Such [large] cities as Orenburg and so on have 14,000 roubles (Ed. Approx. Euro 186) a year per city resident. We do not have elections of heads of municipalities. There are only, if we talk about the administrative centers, some 14 regional capitals, where elections are preserved. Today population of our country has no possibility to solve their pressing problems though their own local self-government. It they fail to do it from the above. When I spoke about the governing crisis, as it is manifest today, we are well aware how exactly it is manifest. Everything is built up in a single vertical. And money and power go there. The most unprofitable and time-consuming powers remain at the local level, not backed by money. And we understand why this is happening. Regions are given today at the mercy of the governors in exchange of the loyalty of the latter. They have complete freedom. “Do what you want, only do not touch us.”

The economy is failing. And in order to switch the attention of citizens from this, it is important to escalate the hysteria that we are surrounded by enemies. And let us tighten belts. And stand in the all-around defence. It is impermissible to conduct such a foreign policy for the state, which claims to be a world power in the 21st century. It is lack of respect for our own fellow citizens.

Yakovlev:

– I would like to read a message that we received: “I want to express support for the guest. I admire her work, the ability to act rationally and think logically. It is pleasant to listen to her. And agree with her virtually on all the items”.

Slabunova:

– Thank you so much.

Yakovlev:

– Here come pleasant and unpleasant things. We have the polls data. In the poll made by VTsIOM, you do not get in their sample group at all. And FOM (Public Opinion Fund) asked: how do you feel about this or that party? And there is a mixture of positive and negative, negative and indifferent. [In this poll] they give the following results to the party: positive – 0 per cent, a mixture of positive and negative – 0 per cent, negative – 0 per cent, and indifference – 2 per cent. Some experts on the basis of these and other polls, quite toughly, call your party a “political corpse”. What is your attitude to such statements?

Slabunova:

– We do not agree with these statements. But I would like give you a small example, which makes one very seriously think about the results of our sociological polls. For example, 86 per cent as we know, fully and completely support, as we our told, the President. But just 10-14 days ago there were published the results of a poll, if I remember correctly, conducted by FOM, where they asked to recollect the achievements of the President in 2015. As it turned out, 8 per cent said that it was the operation in Syria, 7 per cent – Crimea, 4 per cent – live broadcast nationwide phone-in with the President. But over 50 per cent did not give a definite answer. The question is: how do the first and the second information correlate? This is all about the results of the polls.

Now, if we compare the results of the polls with actual steps and actions of our government: if we have nearly 90 per cent of the government’s support and all goes with a bang, then why do they create the National Guard? Why on Friday did they adopt in the first reading a bill by MPs Yarovaya and Ozerov envisaging such repressive mechanisms? If they have total support! Why do they build such powerful the repressive system them?

Yakovlev:

– We have 45 seconds left. Please tell us very briefly, what personally motivates you, Honored Teacher of Russia, to go into politics?

Slabunova:

– I believe that the two categories of people come into politics. The first for showing off in politics, and the second for doing real work so that the country and people were better. I belong to the second category of politicians.

Yakovlev:

– Thank you very much!