Press release, 4.09.2018

Yabloko Chair Emilia Slabunova arrived in Vladimir to support party candidates in the elections to the Legislative Assembly of the Vladimir Region. Deputy of the Vladimir city parliament Dmitry Kushpita heads the party list that consists of 45 candidates.

Yabloko Chair explained to the journalists why it was so important to form a Yabloko’s faction in the regional parliament. “Despite the fact that the number of pro-government politicians will prevail, opposition deputies can do many things,” she said.

“Political control is very important. A deputy can lodge parliamentary questions and make the answers public. It is a way of controlling the situation,” Slabunova noted. The politician reassured the journalists that Yabloko’s representatives would act in the interests of people.

Now one of the major issues is the pension reform. The Yabloko party disproves of it. According to Slabunova, the government should only start the discussion about a reform like this when the country does away with hazardous employment and hard labour conditions and creates new jobs. But the most important thing is to improve the living standards.

At the moment 38 pec cent or residential areas in Vladimir has Eno hot water, 24 per cent have no sewer, 18 per cent have no water supply system and 15 per cent have no central heating system. “In is cynical and shameful to raise the retirement age when people live in the conditions like this. There is a different way balance the pension fund budget and raise pensions. The government must do aways with grew economy, unreported employment and unemployment. These measures will bring 3 trillion 100 billion roubles to the budget of the pension fund,” she explained.

The politician also spoke about the regional issues. One of them is per capita financing. In 2018 the city budget allocated 18.150 roubles per person [approx. 228 euros]. It is impossible to build nurseries, repair schools, roads, street lighting and improve the city with this money, the politician said.

Deputy of the city parliament Dmitry Kushpita explained that he managed to solve three problems that year. “Nobody believed it, but I procured financing for medical room licensing, installation of modern pass system in schools and foundation of the city volleyball club,” he said.

Yabloko Chair also had a meeting with the staff of school No.40. More that 20 of the staff members are on Yabloko’s list of candidates.

She spoke about the major problems with education, including the lack of financing, low wages and second shifts. The basic salary of teacher in the Vladimir Region is 5.080 roubles [approx. 63 euros] while the living wage is 9.309 roubles [approx. 117 euros]. Slabunova called it a shame. She said at fist the basic salary should be equaled to the living wage and then raised by a minimum of one and a half times.

“Do not believe those who tell you not to vote as if everything has already been decided. Nothing is decided. If we come and vote, we can change many things in the region and in the country,”Kushpita said concluding the meeting.