Why every Muscovite should vote in the municipal elections

Emilia Slabunova blog post, 01.09.2017

Moscow is a city we live in, where we work and study, take children to schools and kindergartens, where we walk in parks and we go to shops. However, bureaucrats and officials have virtually deprived Muscovites of the right to determine what their city should be so that it would be comfortable to live in. The authorities do not consider your opinion – it is not interesting for them. Officials do not consider it necessary to ask you as Muscovites whether you like the changes they are imposing on you, the real owners of the city, whether you want the construction under your windows throughout all summer, or the number of outpatient clinics and schools reduced , or so that new skyscrapers emerge in your well-kept residential area.

It is high time to put an end to this! Only the residents can decide whether it is convenient to move around on slippery tiles [the Moscow authorities are so fond of] in winter, or if they need paid parkings, of whether they are ready to pay for the capital repairs of others’ houses, and what is better children – parks or elite residential complexes.

There is a simple and repeatedly tested method of solving urban problems with taking into account the opinions of everyone, rather than just a bunch of officials – this is direct democracy! Direct democracy means city’s local referendums, when every citizen can express his/her opinion on the issues of concern. A referendum gives citizens the right to adopt decisions.

Officials perfectly realise what dangers direct democracy brings for them – their monopoly on power and the right to take decisions will be ruined. Officials will no longer be able to feel themselves masters of the city, they will have to coordinate all decisions with citizens and bear responsibility for the Muscovites for these decisions.

That is why Moscow and Muscovites have been actually deprived of the right to direct democracy. There has been a single citywide or municipal referendum in Moscow, despite the fact that over the past ten years, over 2,500 local referenda have been held in Russia. Instead of direct democracy, Muscovites have been offered a surrogate in the form of voting on the Active Citizen web-site with the results of “votings” approved in the Mayor’s office. Muscovites do not need pseudo-referendums, they should have the right to independently make decisions on all important issues!

The main obstacle to the transition to direct democracy in Moscow is the position of the majority of municipal councils, that are in full subordination to officials from the Mayor’s Offcie. In order to take our city back from officials, it is necessary to change the composition of the municipal councils, elect deputies who will work for the interests of city residents, rather than officials.

Elections of the 10th of September provide Muscovites such a chance. The YABLOKO party stands for direct democracy, and the victory of the candidates from the YABLOKO party will enable Muscovites to become masters of their native city.

Source: http://echo.msk.ru/blog/slabunova_ya/2047690-echo/