Press Release, 24.05.2019

The bill on the direct election of the heads of Novgorod and heads of municipal districts was submitted to the Duma of Veliky Novgorod by Anna Cherepanova, MP of the Veliky Novgorod Duma and Chair of the Novgorod Yabloko. A similar bill was also submitted by the deputies of the Duma of the Okulovsky municipal district. The bill will be considered in June.

The leader of Novgorod Yabloko noted that the appointing of heads via a contest in the region, which replaced the real elections of the city head and heads of municipal districts, has failed everywhere.

“Vasily Bordovsky failed to create the Starorussky tourism cluster and went to early resignation; because of the weak level of candidates, the elections in Okulovka failed; on the initiative of Governor Nikitin, the resignation of head of the Lyubytinsky district Andrei Ustinov was being prepared, but the head of the region recommended him only 18 month ago and now he has become disappointed with his own choice,” Anna Cherepanova emphasised.

“The Yabloko party believes that only the people by means of universal suffrage should choose the authorities, which will be accountable to the people, rather than to the governor,” the chairman of the Novogorod branch of Yabloko added.

Yabloko is in favour of direct elections of mayors, governors and members of the Federation Council, without filters and restrictions. In 2018, direct elections were one of the key points in the presidential election programme of Grigory Yavlinsky, Yabloko founder.