Press release, 17.12.206

On Saturday, December 17, the All-Russia forum of YABLOKO’s deputies took place in Moscow. Deputies of regional parliaments and municipal deputies from the YABLOKO party shared their experience and discussed the plan of legislative work, local self-government problems and other issues. YABLOKO leaders and guest experts joined the discussion as well.

Emilia Slabunova, YABLOKO Chair, deputy of the Legislative Assembly of the Republic of Karelia, opened the Forum. She noted that YABLOKO has 223 deputies in 27 regions of Russia. The party is represented in the parliaments of St.Petersburg, Karelia, the Pskov and Kostroma Regions. 63 per cent of these people were nominted by YABLOKO, however, they are not members of the party, which is part of YABLOKO’s course for a broad democratic coalition.

It is not easy to be elected as YABLOKO’s deputy since it is a true opposition party which gives honest estimations and tells the truth. Slabunova stressed that one cannot overcome the deadlock without changing the government. However, such a stance is popular with the voters. According to “The SMS-Central Electoral Commission” of the Golos (‘Vote’) Association, the party gained about 6.1 per cent at the latest parliamentary election.

Grigory Yavlinsky, Chair of YABLOKO’s Political Committee, noted that YABLOKO was the only party that was not part of pro-Putin majority but at the same time had factions in regional parliaments and was represented in a large number of municipalities.

In his speech Yavlinsky focused on the work of YABLOKO’s faction in St. Petersburg Legislative Assembly which he used to head in the previous convocation of the regional parliament. The faction developed the strategy of development of St. Petersburg. The project was presented to governor of the city and president of the country since it is not possible to realise it without the support of the federal centre.

Yavlinsky also stressed that one cannot count that the situation in the country would improve itself one day. “No, it will not. We need a deliberate goal-seeking will and work in order to solve these problems,” he noted.

The way out is to change the president and the whole system “step by step, lawfully, in accordance with the Constitution”.

The current head of YABLOKO’s faction in St. Petersburg Legislative Assembly Boris Vishnevsky spoke about the activities of YABLOKO’s deputies. “YABLOKO never had the majority in the parliament but the voice of the party has always been heard clearly”. “That is because YABLOKO never kept silence. Our deputies always stood in the front line, they always supported the citizens, always expressed their opinion on the most important topics and never thought whether the authorities will approve of their stance or not,” he said.

YABLOKO deputy Chair Nikolai Rybakov also said it was good for the voters to have a YABLOKO’s deputy. “Experience shows that deputies form other parties are afraid to stand against the government of the region. Therefore the voters come for help to our deputies,” he noted.

Sergei Mitrokhin, Chair of Moscow branch of YABLOKO, told those present about YABLOKO’s role in creation and preservation of the local self-government institution in Russia. The period of formation of local self-government coincided with the time when YABLOKO had a faction in the State Duma. Sergei Mitrokhin developed a law on financial basis of the local self-government. The law provided “a financial paradise” for local self-government. However, after YABLOKO was “thrown out” of the State Duma, the law was redesigned fundamentally.

Lev Shlosberg, deputy of the Pskov Region Legislative Assembly, Federal Political Committee member, spoke about the necessity of coordinated creation of regulatory acts by deputies of the legislative and representative bodies of government and local self-government elected from the YABLOKO party. He claims that YABLOKO’s deputies in regional parliament must try to pass the federal bills developed by YABLOKO for the State Duma.

Galina Shirshina, elected mayor of Petrozavodsk (2013-2015), adviser to YABLOKO Chair, named four major tasks which should solved by YABLOKO’s deputies – real representation of the interests of the citizens and solution of city problems, transparency of budget expenses, reduction of costs for staff and RR and, finally, introduction of new economic costs.

The participants of the Forum also discussed the new local self-government in Russia, the activities of a deputy and sustainable development of territories. They also adopted a declaration on the results of the reforms of the local self-government in Russia.