Statement by the Yabloko party, 7.09.2022

Photo: leaflets of Yabloko candidates “For Peace and Freedom”

We are against the so-called Smart Voting [reduced to voting for any pro-government political party but the ruling United Russia] re-announced by Leonid Volkov [head of Alexei Navalny’s headquarters].

We, as before, categorically do not share his position: voting “for any party except United Russia”, the possibility of voting for Stalinists and nationalists, as well as his disdain for human destinies.

We can only reiterate: we are asking all voters who support Volkov and his team and their stance not to vote for us.

We consider the inclusion of Yabloko’s candidates on the Smart Voting lists [of candidates recommended to voting] a provocation, “throwing people into the furnace” [as Volkov once said about detained protesters] and actual squealing.

The Smart Voting lists [of recommended candidates] were published on the eve of the municipal elections in Moscow, these lists included candidates nominated by the Yabloko party. We categorically reject Smart Voting as a harmful and dangerous project that has already led to tragic consequences.

We consider Smart Voting politically harmful and unacceptable. The principle “vote for any party, except for United Russia”, shared by the leaders of the project, has repeatedly brought nationalists, Stalinists and other supporters of the government to the State Duma and other bodies of power, who subsequently initiate and vote for the most reactionary laws and initiatives, vote for political repression.

We believe that the leaders of this project, being in emigration, cannot point out Russian citizens how to vote.

Yabloko is the only party in Russia that clearly and firmly stands for peace, and an immediate ceasefire agreement. We are confident that we are supported by millions of people who want peace.

Nikolai Rybakov,

Yabloko Chairman

Sergei Ivanenko,

Chairman of the Moscow branch of Yabloko

Maxim Kruglov,

Head of the Yabloko faction in the Moscow City Duma