The elected municipal deputies gathered in Yabloko for the first time
Press release, 13.09.2017

Yesterday, 12 September, the first meeting of the newly elected municipal deputies took place in Yabloko’s office. Yabloko had a very good result in the Moscow municipal elections winning 176 mandates, which made Yabloko the second largest party in Moscow (after the ruling United Russia party). Leaders of Yabloko and its Moscow branch also participated in the meeting. Apart form congratulations, the participants of the meeting discussed the issues concerning the strategy of common activity as well as the practical aspects, which the deputies, who were elected for the first time, will face. Yabloko believes that such a strong team can change the city agenda using the experience of the party.

Yabloko Chair Emilia Slabunova opened the meeting and congratulated those present on the victory. “It came as a result of hard work, therefore it is of more value,” she said.

She said that all the nominees “are brave, courageous people who dared to enter such a fight”. Slabunova especially appreciated the work done by deputy of the Gagarinsky district Elena Rusakova who coordinated the activity of the Moscow election headquarters. It is to be said that Yabloko gained all 12 seats in the Gagarinsky district, where Vladimir Putin voted.

According to Emilia Slabunova, the daily activity of Yabloko’s municipal deputies and the regional party branch for many years was the precondition of the success. However, according to Slabunova, the key thing was the synergy of the efforts of Yabloko’s election headquarters, Dmitry Gudkov’s headquaters and all the Moscow branch of the party. “This is our common victory,” Yabloko Chair noted.

“The atmosphere in the city is changing, real political competition is coming. The situation with decision making both on the municipal and city level is changing,” Slabunova emphasized.

Yabloko leader spoke about two key issues for Yabloko – the role of local self-government and the necessity to ban the municipal filter. Candidates for Moscow Mayor will have to collect signatures of the municipal deputies in order to go through the municipal filter in 2018.

Yabloko Deputy Chair and head of the Common headquarters of the party Nikolai Rybakov noted that the victory put Yabloko on top of discussion, including the discussions on federal TV channels. “Now everybody will be watching us very closely. Our responsibility is to share our experience and help you. Your responsibility is to work actively to prove people that it was worth voting for Yabloko. Now you will be the face of the party for the residents of your districts,” he said.

Rybakov shared his own experience (he was elected municipal deputy in St. Petersburg more than once) and called the deputies to “learn to be diplomats” and try to cooperate with deputies form other parties if they need their votes in order to make a decision in favour of the Muscovites.

Experienced municipal deputies Elina Rusakova and Grigory Tolkachev (the Gagarinsky district), Andrei Babushkin (the Otradnoye district) and Mikhail Menshikov (the Dorogomilovo district) gave practical advice on the work of a municipal deputy.

They spoke about the possible strategies of work in the districts, where Yabloko has the majority and where it has no majority. They also answered the questions concerning the regulations of municipal councils and difference legal aspects. One of the key points of the speakers was the necessity of cooperation among oppositional deputies.

“Now different issues will raise, the residents will turn to you for help. What are you going to do? You should call us, and we will come for help,” Moscow Yabloko Deputy Chair Galina Mikhaleva said. “We are quite experienced in such matters. We founded a special structure for this purposes called the Moscow Risque Committee,” she explained.

Chair of the Moscow branch of Yabloko Sergei Mitrokhin thanked all the elected deputies and all those who failed to enter the municipal councils. He promised that the party will cooperate with them.

“All the strategies, methods and technologies, which the Moscow branch of Yabloko developed these years, are at your service,” the politician said.

He singled out four main fields for activity – in the first place, it is the analysis and uncovering of local expenditure and anti-corruption activity. Yabloko Anti-Corruption Centre is ready to help with this. Secondly, the mobilization of residents in the districts. He called the deputies to practice public hearings and invite the residents to the meetings of the local councils.

The third thing is the tactics on certain issues, especially fighting infill development. Finally, the fourth important step is to file legislative initiatives. Yabloko is ready to help developing the initiatives. “We must show the residents that we are not just seating and voting, we are daily working in deed,” the politician explained.

Yabloko presidential candidate Grigory Yavlinsky named the two key points.

According to Yavlinsky, this is the first time in the modern history of Russia that so many new people enter politics. The changes in Moscow and in the country may and must begin after this election. His second point was that the work of a municipal deputy is a political work.

“What you are going to do is true real policy. You entered politics with a stance when you signed our Moscow Manifesto 2017. And the Muscovites who voted for you know Yabloko’s stance, have no doubt about that, therefore they have been voting for Yabloko for 20 years,” he noted. Such issues as inadmissibility of private property and environmental protection that municipal deputies face every day are political issues, Yavlinsky reminded.

Grigory Yavlinsky expressed hope that the elected deputies would soon form a common team that would solve the city issues including the enhancement of the role of the local-self government.

“We would like to reach such level of mutual understanding with you so that Yabloko office would become your new office soon. That is why we exist,” the politician summed up.