Decision by the Yabloko Federal Political Committee of 24 November, 2023, published on 7 December, 2023

Photo: Grigory Yavlinsky at the televised debates during the 2018 presidential campaign / Photo by the Yabloko Press Service

The upcoming eighth presidential elections in Russia in March 2024 are radically different from those held in Russia since 1991. In the situation when fighting and human loss go on, and those who disagree with the actions of the authorities are imprisoned for expressing a position different from the position of the state, the elections turn into a kind of plebiscite with the question of support for Vladimir Putin personally and his policies, with a predetermined result, which was already announced by his Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov.

It is obvious that the authorities will not allow a real election campaign to be held. They even will no allow to use this campaign to promote ideas that differ from the official ones. Criticism of the authorities and the special military operation will be monitored very closely with the prospect of severe repression against those who will work in our campaign.

Today, the most effective, and perhaps the only way to conduct a campaign that would be useful for the country is to try to participate in it relying on millions of voters even before the elections. We need a broad, significant and visible public demand for the participation in the elections of a candidate who embodies a position that is alternative to the position of the current president and all current parliamentary parties represented in the State Duma.

Yabloko has such a candidate – Grigory Yavlinsky, but we will consider nominating our candidate first of all if there is a public initiative supported by millions of people.

We are convinced that in the current situation, when many people are directly involved in the special military operation or are forced to send their children, husbands, and friends there, it is the citizens who must declare the desire and need to nominate an opposition candidate who advocates a ceasefire, peace and freedom.

Therefore, the Federal Political Committee supports citizens’ initiatives to collect signatures for the nomination of Grigory Yavlinsky as a candidate for the presidential elections in Russia: collecting signatures under petitions, appeals, on websites and in any other forms.

The Federal Political Committee invites all regional and local branches of the party to facilitate the collection of citizens’ signatures in all possible forms.

At the same time, even if, due to depression and fear, citizens will not be able to support the nomination of a real opposition candidate, possible non-participation in the 2024 presidential elections does not mean that we are giving up the fight. Our goal remains the same, and we will move towards it, winning more supporters. But under the current conditions, the mere participation of our candidate in elections with a predetermined result cannot be our goal.

Broad public support for the nomination of a candidate who advocates an immediate ceasefire, peace and freedom is a necessary condition for participation in the Russian presidential elections in 2024.

The decision of the congress to nominate a candidate from the Yabloko party in the presidential elections depends on the citizens of Russia.

Grigory Yavlinsky

is Chairman of the Federal Political Committee of the Russian United Democratic Party Yabloko, Vice President of Liberal International, PhD in Economics, Professor of the National Research University Higher School of Economics.