| May 31, 2012 |
| Let
us protect Article 31 on the freedom of assembly of
the Constitution on June 5!
Open letter by YABLOKO leader
Sergei Mitrokhin to organisers and participants of
street protests, May 31, 2012
To organisers and participants
of street protests
at Bolotnaya, Sakharov and Pushkin Squares, Chistiye
Prudi, Novy Arbat, the participants of the movements
“Strategy 31”, “The White Ribbon”, “March of the Millions”
and other protest actions: Boris Akunin, Dmitry Bykov,
Genadi Gudkov, Dmitry Gudkov,
Eduard Limonov, Alexei Navalny, Sergei Parkhomenko,
Vladimir Ryzhkov,
Lev Ponomarev, Sergei Udaltsov, Yugenia Chirikova
and others
Today, on May 31, the day when actions
in protection of Article 31 of the Constitution guaranteeing
RF citizens the right to assemble peacefully, without
weapons, hold rallies, demonstrations, marches and
pickets are normally held [in Russia].
On this day, I am turning to you calling
you to pay very close attention to the amendments
prepared by the State Duma to the Administrative Offences
Code and Federal Law No 54 "On Assemblies, Rallies,
Demonstrations, Processions and Pickets". These
amendments are prohibitive and maximally limit the
constitutional right of citizens to protests.
Not only do they set high penalties
[for the rallies], but also make any form of street
activity impossible and broaden the possibilities
for abuse by the police providing grounds for absurd
accusations...
|
|
Liberals
label Egyptian Presidential Candidates as "worst
possible scenario"
LI News Bulletin, Issue 285, May 31, 2012
Commenting on the unofficial Presidential
election results in Egypt, liberals expressed concern
that two main Presidential candidates, Mohammed Mursi
(Muslim Brotherhood) and former Prime Minister Ahmed
Shafiq, are a “worst possible scenario” following
the revolution in the country last year. Mohamed Nosseir,
member of the Political Bureau of FEP, and Mohamed
Abbas, Secretary-General of DFP (LI full member),
explained that “the results of the first round of
the elections are a clear indication that the majority
of voters do not wish to see the Muslim brotherhood
or the old regime take control again” as around 9
million Egyptians decided to vote for the alternative
Presidential candidates (Hamdeen Sabbahi and Abuo
Al Fotoh). Nosseir added that the Egyptian political
forces that account for the remaining votes have met
on June 28 and decided to work together which has
resulted in submitting a document that defends and
promotes the revolution's demand for an Egyptian civil
state. The opposition is hoping that this document
will be endorsed by the Egyptian intellectuals, political
leaders, and artists, and will eventually become obligatory
for whoever wins the coming election.
|
| May 30, 2012 |
| Moscow
Mayor Sobyanin supports YABLOKO’s proposals
Press Release, May 30, 2012.
Moscow Mayor Sobyanin partially supported
the proposals made by YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin
to delegate municipal assemblies the right to coordinate
some issues of urban planning.
On April 22, Moscow hosted the Municipal
Deputies Forum which supported Sergei Mitrokhin’s
draft law on introducing amendments into the law "On
the organization of local self-government in Moscow."
Speaking today at the Congress of
the Moscow Municipalities Councils Sergei Sobyanin
proposed to expand the powers of urban municipalities
relating to construction of new facilities.
"I propose to grant the municipal
assemblies the right to coordinate construction of
facilities that have to serve the needs of the residents
of specific areas," said the Mayor...
|
| Dmitry
Medvedev's statement on political reform made under
the pressure of mass protests turn out a simulation
and even a mockery
Statement by the YABLOKO Bureau,
May 25, 2012.
This is most clearly demonstrated
by hasty appointments of governors in a large number
of regions. The "filters" built-in into
the nomination of governors made it virtually impossible
to nominate candidates from the opposition. In addition
to the presidential recommendations, there were adopted
extremely tough requirements to collection of signatures
from municipal deputies in support of [nominated]
candidates. A formally possible nomination of alternative
candidates at a time when the vast majority of municipal
deputies are representatives of the ruling party or
its affiliated groups in reality results in the creation
of an insurmountable barrier for the opposition or
independent candidates in entering the election race.
A number of regional legislative assemblies
where the positions of "the United Russia are
particularly unstable hastily pass laws fixing the
most stringent of the proposed regulatory frameworks
for the candidates from other parties"...
|
| Muscovites
dismantle the fence around an unlawfully seized beach
at Serebryanniy Bor
Press Release, May 30, 2012.
A meeting of the residents of the
West and North-West of Moscow who oppose unlawfully
seizure of Moscow beaches will take place in Serebryanniy
Bor on Thursday, May 31. The residents will dismantle
un unlawfully erected fence.
On May 28 YABLOKO’s public inspection
which also included environmentalists and journalists
managed to get inside the fenced territory of the
beach. (See the photo report here.) The guard of the
fenced beach was unable tell the name of the “owner”
of the beach, but said that the place was a "barbecue
site" for Federal Security Service and Interior
Ministry officers and their families...
|
|
ALDE
position paper on the Eurozone
Press Release, ALDE, May 30, 2012
Four steps to exit the crisis
"We are facing the prospects
of a lost decade of growth and employmentand an absence
of decisive leadership on how to tackle it.
Politicalelites are sharply divided
between the need for increasing spending tocreate
growth and the pursuit of further budgetary consolidation.
Neither of these two solutions alone can work - more
austerity willdrive the EU into a prolonged recession
whilst uncontrolled spendingwill increase public debt
to unsustainable levels."
|
| Eurovision:
out of sight, not out of mind
ELDR Press Release, May 29, 2012.
The singing is over in Azerbaijan
after the Eurovision final. Nonetheless it’s still
time for democracy! Given the last minute arrests
and clamp downs, as reported by the international
and European Liberal Youth present in Baku, Liberals
will remain vigilant! We are greatly concerned if
the government will follow up on their threats to
retaliate further on the opposition after Eurovision.
The European Parliament during its plenary session
on Thursday 24 May, strongly condemned Azerbaijan’s
human rights abuses, the basic breaches and violations
of the principles of democracy, freedom of speech,
rule of law, and in some domains the total lack of
values, specifically calling on the leadership of
the Union to raise these issues when in Baku, or negotiating
energy matters with the country...
|
| May 29, 2012 |
| Forum
"Environmental Problems in the Political Context"
held in the Moscow Region
Press Release, May 29, 2012.
"The Green Forum: Environmental
Problems in the Political Context" was held on
the initiative of YABLOKO’s Green Russia faction in
the Moscow Region on May 28, 2012.
Representatives from 64 environmental
organizations from 35 Russian regions from Kaliningrad
to Kamchatka participated in the Forum so that to
discuss the political and environmental situation
in Russia.
YABLOKO leader Grigory Yavlinsky and
the leaders of the Green Russia faction (Acad. Alexei
Yablokov, Alexander Nikitin and Olga Tsepilova) participated
in the Forum. The discussion was also attended by
leaders of environmental organisations such as Greenpeace
Russia, the Russian branch of the World Wildlife Fund,
the International Socio-Ecological Union, as well
as a number of influential regional organisations
such as Dodo, Nizhni Novgorod, Ecodefence, Kaliningrad,
Plotina.Net!, Krasnoyarsk, Bellona, St. Petersburg,
Siberian Ecocentre, Novosibirsk, the Far East Fund
for Environmental Health, Vladivostok, the Kamchatka
League of Independent Experts, the Union of Moscow
Environmental Organisations, the Union of Bashkirian
Environmentalists and the Green Branch, Yaroslavl...
|
| YABLOKO
leader participated in the inauguration of Yugeny
Urlashyov, the Mayor of Yaroslavl
Press Release, May 26, 2012.
YABLOKO leader participated in the
inauguration of Yugeny Urlashyov, the Mayor of Yaroslavl,
and congratulated him on taking the office.
Sergei Mitrokhin discussed with the
Mayor the issues of urban economy and the city budget.
"We will try to restore the law on financial
foundations of local self-government developed by
YABLOKO and revoked later by United Russia. If it
had worked, then today the Yaroslavl tax base would
have been several times larger,” he said...
|
| May 27, 2012 |
| Organiser
of an action against raising of penalties for rallies
to stand trial
Press Release, May 27, 2012.
Pyotr Ivanchikov, YABLOKO’s activist
and organiser of an action against raising of penalties
for rallies, will to stand trial for oragnisation
of an action. After his detention
he was held for in a local police department for four
hours (instead of the maximum three hours allowed
by law). He is incriminated “violation of the established
order of oragnisation of a rally” (Article 20.2 of
the Administrative Offences Code).
Ivanchikov is accused that the topic
of the rally differed with the topic agreed upon with
the authorities. YABLOKO had applied for a permission
to conduct a rally stating the topic of urgent elections
of the Moscow Mayor, however, in light of the events
of raising penalties for rallies by the parliament,
YABLOKO changed the topic (such a change is not prohibited
by the law)... |
| YABLOKO’s
action: toughening of penalties for rallies is a straight
way towards a totalitarian state
Press Release, May 27, 2012.
A theatrical action against toughening
of penalties for violations at the rallies took place
in Novopushkinsky Garden on May 27. Potential "violators"
were implementing compulsory community services under
the sounds of military marches of Hitler's Germany
without waiting for the final adoption of the draft
law toughening the penalties by the ruling United
Russia faction. Half an hour after the start of the
action, its organiser Pyotr Ivanchikov was detained
by police for alleged non-conformity of the declared
topic of the rally with the actual one. "Muscovites
complain about the Nazi marches," a police lieutenant
told the journalists.
While the protesters were filling
Novopushkinsky Garden, YABLOKO activists wearing prisoners'
hats broomed the pavement under the sounds of military
marches from Hitler's Germany.
"We want to show that the State
Duma is going to adopt a law natural in a totalitarian
state," said YABLOKO leader Sergei Mitrokhin
opening the meeting. “Under the clamour of possible
reduction of fines from 1.5 million roubles to 300,000
roubles, the State Duma adopted a resolution listing
these monstrous amendments,” he noted.
Participants of the action demonstrated
disproportionate punishment for “violations” that
would be introduced by the new law. They could have
been convicted to compulsory community services only
for wearing the Guy Fawkes masks. In addition, each
of them wore a plaque innumerating other "aggravating
circumstances", such as "walking across
Moscow", "trampling the grass," and
"wearing a white ribbon"... |
| May 25, 2012 |
| International
Conference "Youth under Threat of Extremism and
Xenophobia. A Liberal Response"
conducted jointly by ELDR and YABLOKO. Moscow, April
21, 2012. Speeches, videos, presentations
Published on May 25, 2012.
Welcoming speeches
Dr. Sergei Mitrokhin, Chair of the
YABLOKO party
Dr. Marc Guerrero, ELDR Vice President, CDC Catalonia,
Spain
Dr. Astrid Thors, ELDR Vice President
Emil Kirjas, Secretary General of Liberal International
Vladimir Lukin, Russia’s Ombudsman. |
|
LibDem
leader warns of Eurozone Collapse, calls for Social
Mobility
LI News Bulletin, Issue 284, May 25, 2012
As the Greek debt crisis continues,
Nick Clegg MP, leader of the Liberal Democrats (LI
Full member) warned that a single currency would not
be capable of surviving solely through fiscal discipline.
The Eurozone must prepare for a possible Greek departure
and must recognize that an ability of countries to
share debt and administer fiscal transfers is what
could keep the Eurozone from collapse. Clegg expressed
feelings that this crisis could lead to electoral
triumph for both the far left and right, which could
lead to increased extremism and xenophobia. He believes
this could be prevented through EU leadership, as
well as policies which reflect a more socially mobile
society. “We must create a more dynamic society. One
where what matters most is the person you become,
not the person you were born… For liberals, this is
core stuff. It gets to the very heart of our politics.
We are a party and a creed that is defined by our
belief in a fairer, more open society,” Clegg said.
MORE
LI
President in Macedonia meets President and LDP leaders
LI President: “Ukraine is at crossroad”
Liberals beaten and detained in Azerbaijan
LI Patron and DPP on President Ma’s inauguration
LI VP Al-Sahlani on Malawi: “path towards equality,
diversity and inclusion”
Anwar Ibrahim faces new political charges
Georgia set to resolve presidential nomination controversy
|
|
Verhofstadt
meets with Yulia Tymoshenko. "Justice cannot
be delayed or denied"
Press Release, ALDE, May 25, 2012
This afternoon Guy Verhofstadt (ALDE
group leader), together with Hans van Baalen (VVD,
Netherlands) on behalf of ELDR Party, was able to
visit Yulia Tymoshenko in hospital in Kharkiv in the
north east of Ukraine, following meetings in the morning
with Ukrainian Prime Minister, Mykola Azarov and the
chief prosecutor, Viktor Pshonka.
See also:
Youth
job opportunities must be the focus for EU growth
and employment efforts
|
| May 23, 2012 |
| Grigory
Yavlinsky on the global economic problems
Press Release, May 23, 2012.
We can overcome the global economic
crisis only changing the present rules of our life
and checking them with such concepts such as trust,
morality and the public good, said Grigory Yavlinsky,
member of YABLOKO’s Political Committee and Doctor
of Economic Sciences.
"There is a substitution of meanings,
when the market economy is viewed at solely as a tool
for deriving profit, manufacturers are not oriented
to the real needs of the people depriving the latter
of choice and imposing what will bring the greatest
profit. This is not the post-industrial economy, but
a postmodern world where not only businessmen, but
also experts and politicians are guided only by self-interests
and that is why they can not cope in principle with
the ongoing crisis," Yavlinsky stressed in the
debate on the global economic problems with political
philosopher Prof. Michael Sandel, Harvard University
and Diane Coyle, academic and economist...
|
| Grigory
Yavlinsky on Hard Talk, BBC,
May 21, 2012.
Stephen Sackur speaks to Grigory Yavlinsky,
economist, reformer and a veteran leader of Russia's
fragmented opposition.
|
| Grigory
Yavlinsky, Michael Sandel and Diane Coyle on money
and morality. Start the Week. BBC Radio 4,
May 21, 2012.
On Start the Week Andrew Marr discusses
the relationship between markets and morals with the
political philosopher Michael Sandel. In his latest
book, What Money Can't Buy, Sandel questions the dominance
of the financial markets in our daily lives, in which
everything has a price. But the economist Diane Coyle
stands up for her much maligned profession, and points
to the many benefits of a market economy. The Russian
economist Grigory Yavlinksy argues against viewing
the world of money as separate from culture and society:
he believes the financial crisis was merely a symptom
of a wider moral collapse, and that it is time to
examine the way we live.
Producer: Katy Hickman.
|
| A
protest action against raising penalties for rallies
Press Release, May 22, 2012.
The State Duma has been examining
amendments stipulating the raise of penalties for
rallies up to 1.5 million roubles. The
amendments constitute another crime buy the ruling
Unite Russia party against the nation.
A general protest rally against the
draft law will take place on Sunday. The rally has
a permission from the Moscow authorities.
The government has to see that no
penalties will stop us. We are
not going to speak about some abstract democracy.
We will say #DumaStop. We are against the amendments.
And we will make them listen to us.
Novopushkinskiy Garden (Pushkinskaya
metro station). Sunday, May 27 at 14:00. |
| Orlando
elected mayor of Palermo
ELDR News, May 23, 2012.
The results of the second round of
mayoral elections in Italy last weekend were an outstanding
success for ELDR Vice-President Leoluca Orlando MP.
Obtaining about 73% of votes in the city of Palermo
election, Orlando becomes Mayor of Palermo, an office
he will be holding for the fourth time in his life.
“My election is a response to the wave of anti-politics
in Italy”, said Orlando commenting on his result.
“Backed by my electoral support I will be asking Prime
Minister Monti about his intentions regarding the
current dreadful social question in Italy and particularly
in Palermo”.
More
Eurovision's
dirtysecrets
Time
to call a Convention on the Eurozone 22
Liberals in Brussels put EU citizenship in practice
Liberals
condemn socialists for accepting hate crime |
| May 22, 2012 |
| Mitrokhin
released without charges, other activists will stand
before court
Press Release, May 22, 2012.
The police released YABLOKO leader
Sergei Mitrokhin without any charge. However, other
YABLOKO activists detained by the State Duma will
have to stand before court "for participation
in an unsanctioned picket"...
All the detainees were transported
to the police department and all of them but for Sergei
Mitrokhin were charged with “violation of the established
order or organization of a rally”. The policemen did
not set any charges against Mitrokhin referring to
some order.
The activists will stand before court
on May 30. Their cases will be examined by a judge
notoriously famous for her tough sentences to opposition
activists.
|
| Sergei
Mitrokhin and activists detained at the "walking
protests" by the State Duma
Press Release, May 22, 2012.
Several YABLOKO activists were detained
by police during “walking protests” conducted by YABLOKO
by the State Duma this morning. The police detained
YABLOKO Chairman Sergei Mitrokhin and Kirill Gontcharov,
leader of the Youth Yabloko, and three other activists
of the party...
...Sergei Mitrokhin called the police
actions be absolute lawlessness, as the activists
were detained at a legal action which did not require
a special approval. " The police actions have
proved once again how dangerous the adoption of the
amendments [on raising fines of rallies] are to all
of us," Mitrokhin said. He noted that the parliament
wanted to set impossibly high fines for violations
at the rallies which would deprive people of an opportunity
to peacefully express their views. "This may
push people to an armed rebellion," he said...
|
|
European
Liberals gather in Armenia
LI News Bulletin, Issue 283, May 21, 2012
Days after the parliamentary elections
in Armenia, the European Liberal Democrats - ELDR
(LI cooperating organisation) held their spring Council
meeting in the Armenian capital Yerevan. Assembled
delegates from across Europe expressed solidarity
and support to the Armenian opposition, led by the
Armenian National Movement, which saw recent return
to the Armenian Parliament. ELDR President, Sir Graham
Watson MEP, stressed slow democracy progress in Armenia,
and called for intensified steps to ensure sustainable
development in the country saying: “Arguing for gradual
development has always been the subterfuge of the
authoritarian leader. Armenians are perfectly capable
of running a fully democratic society.” The Council
adopted resolutions on Cyprus and UN Arms Trade Treaty.
LI delegation at the Council included LI VP on the
Bureau Abir Al-Sahlani MP, Treasurer Robert W. Browne,
Secretary General Emil Kirjas and Membership and Policy
Officer Robert Wintraecken. Addressing the Council,
Treasurer Robert W. Browne recalled the dialogue between
ELDR and LI Presidents and invited ELDR as a functional
and legally established party to join LI as its Full
member.
MORE
LI
Human Rights Committee Commemorates International
Day against Homophobia
European Liberals gather in Armenia
Support for FDP Increases in Local Elections
LI VP Lamine Ba: “ECOWAS Has to Restore Constitutional
Legality”
FNF starts new two-year project in northern Iraq
Finnish Defence Minister Wallin met with U.S. Minister
of Defence
DA Condemns COSATU violence at Youth Wage Subsidy
March
|
| May 17, 2012 |
| Youth
YABLOKO to picket the State Duma protesting against
raising of fines for rallies
Press Release, May 17, 2012.
Tomorrow on May 18, Youth YABLOKO
activists will conduct a series of pickets by the
State Duma against adoption of the law on toughening
punishment for violations at rallies. Kirill Gontcharov,
leader of the Youth YABLOKO, will participate in the
action.The picket will begin
at 9:30 a.m.
Tomorrow the Russian parliament will
examine a draft law on the introduction of a fine
amounting to RUR 1.5 mln (approximately USD 50,000)
for violations at rallies. The draft law was submitted
by the ruling United Russia deputies and envisages
a raise of a maximum fine for the organizers and participants
of mass-scale actions to RUR 1.5 mln.
On Tuesday, the Duma Committee on
Constitutional Legislation and State Building recommended
to adopt the draft law in the first reading.
|
| Mitrokhin
visits the protesters camp at Chistiye Prudi, Moscow
Press Release, May 14, 2012.
YABLOKO leader Sergei Mitrokhin and
Galina Mikhalyova, First Deputy Chair of the Moscow
YABLOKO, joined YABLOKO activists who had been visiting
the opposition camp at Chistiye Prudi by Abai Kunanbyev
monument all these days.
Mitrokhin and Mikhalyova answered
protesters' questions and even tasted food from the
mobile kitchen.
"We support any peaceful protest
forms that do not violate the Russian law and are
not connected with provocations and adventurism,"
Mitrokhin said. He added that the scope of mass-scale
protests and their efficiency can only grow only like
this.
Mitrokhin also noted that "the
government does not have any motives for violent action
against the campers."
"We will
be categorically against any attempts to provoke violence
whoever would initiate these – either the government
or the protester," he stressed.
|
| May 16, 2012 |
| Yavlinsky
called on the "walking protestors" in St.
Petersburg to set political goals
Interfax, May 15, 2012.
St. Petersburg. May 15. Interfax.ru
– Grigory Yavlinsky, founder of the YABLOKO party
and deputy of St.Petersburg Legislative Assembly,
spoke to the participants of the “walking protests”
at the St. Isaac's Square, St.Petersburg.
The [present] “walking protests” should
have a political meaning, they should not happen just
for nothing," he said, adding that the objective
should be victory of democratic forces at elections...
|
| Mitrokhin
asks the President to solve the housing problem for
11 homeless families with many children
Press Release, May 16, 2012.
YABLOKO leader Sergei Mitrokhin has
forwarded a letter to President of Russia Vladimir
Putin asking him to take under his personal control
the problem of 11 large families that for various
reasons remained homeless.
These are families from different
regions of Russia: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Tatarstan,
Krasnodar and the Moscow region. Many of these families
have seven children and more and in some families
there are disabled children. These families have not
received child benefits and other allowances for years...
|
| Police
Clear Chistiye Prudy Camp, Arrest 20 Protesters
The Moscow Times, May 16,
2012.
...Basmanny Court on Tuesday ordered
the camp at Chistiye Prudy closed in response to a
lawsuit by residents of the area around the former
camp who complained of inaction by authorities. (Related
article: Court
Orders Protest Camp Dismantled)
Leader of the liberal Yabloko party
Sergei Mitrokhin called the police action illegal
in a message on Twitter, saying he had filed an appeal
of the Basmanny Court decision late Tuesday.
|
| May 15, 2012 |
| Mitrokhin
appeals against the decision to liquidate the opposition
camp in Moscow
Press Release, May 15, 2012.
YABLOKO leader Sergei Mitrokhin appealed
against the decision to liquidate the opposition camp
in the garden at Chistiye Prudi boulevard, Moscow.
"I believe that this decision
violates my right to free walking in the garden without
time restriction and at any time," he said.
In addition, Mitrokhin noted that
the decision by the Basmanny Court, Moscow, did not
envisage immediate implementation, as the law stipulates
that it should be implemented only after the decision
comes into force, i.e. after 30 days from the date
it was made...
|
| Rafgat
Altynbayev, senator from the Ryazan region, may be
recalled
7info.ru, May 15, 2012.
Sergei Mitrokhin, Chairman of the
YABLOKO party, sent an inquiry [to the prosecutors]
on verification of income statements of four members
of the Federation Council, including Rafgat Altynbayev,
a member of the Federation Council from the Government
of the Ryazan region.
The 7 News agency asked Oleg Kovalyov,
Governor of the Ryazan region, whether he had known
about this fact, and what he his reaction proceeding
from the results of the audit would be.
“I know about this inquiry. If the commission detects
violations, then we will consider recalling of the
Senator,” said the head of the region.
|
| Houses
of 80 families pulled down in Sochi on the Day of
Family
Press Release, May 15, 2012.
YABLOKO leader Sergei Mitrokhin demands
from President of Russia Vladimir Putin, Governor
of the Krasnodar Territory Alexander Tkachyov and
Sochi Mayor Anatoly Pakhomov to immediately stop pulling
down blocks of flats in the center of Sochi (Plastunskaya
street 80 and Golenva street, 7).
Bailiffs and riot police have thrown
out 80 families, hoodwinked investors, who lived in
these blocks of flats and have begun pulling down
the houses. The houses are pulled down so that to
build a parking for coaches and buses for the guests
of the Olympics for the two weeks of the Olympic Games
in 2014...
|
| May 10, 2012 |
| Grigory
Yavlinsky participated in the memorial ceremony at
Piskaryovskoye Cemetery, St.Petersburg
Press Release, May 8, 2012. Photo report.
A memorial ceremony devoted to the
67th anniversary of victory in the Second World War
took place at Piskaryovskoye Cemetery, St.Petersburg.
Representatives from the city government, veterans
and siege survivors organisations, delegations from
other countries and cities, representatives of diplomatic
corps, different confessions, youth public organisations
and thousands of St.Petersburg residents came to the
cemetery to pay tribute to those who died in the 872
days long siege of Leningrad.
According to Grigory Yavlinsky, Chair
of the YABLOKO faction in St.Petersburg Legislative
Assembly, who participated in the ceremony, “The city
has been feeling the pain from the wounds from the
Leningrad siege even decades past the events”. Yavlinsky
together with other deputies of the faction and YABLOKO’s
activists laid wreaths and flowers to the monument
to the victims of the siege.
The Piskaryovskoye Cemetery contains
126 collective graves with burials of 420,000 civilians
who died during artillery bombardments, bombings and
from hunger and 70,000 military who defended the city.
|
| YABLOKO
paid tribute to the memory of soldiers of the Second
World War
Press Release, May 8, 2012. Photo report.
YABLOKO’s delegation laid a wreath
and flowers to the Tomb of Unknown Soldier by the
Kremlin wall. “In cherished memory of the heroic liberators”
ran the inscription on the wreath ribbon.
Sergei Mitrokhin, YABLOKO Chair, and
Political Committee members Alexei Arbatov, Sergei
Ivanenko and Grigory Yavlinsky participated in the
ceremony. They wore White Ribbons, symbols of the
winter and spring protest actions in Russia, together
with St.George Ribbons, the symbols of memory of the
victims of the war.
|
| May 9, 2012 |
| YABLOKO
pays tribute to the memory of the victims of the Second
World War on the Victory Day
Press Release, May 9, 2012. Photo report by Anton
Baskakov
Mourning ceremony in memory of those
killed during the Second World War was held by YABLOKO
activists at Preobrazhenskoye Cemetery - the largest
military burial in Moscow - today.
Activists and leaders of the YABLOKO
party laid flowers and a wreath at the Eternal Flame
at the Memorial.
The participants observed a minute
of silence in memory of those killed in Second World
War. |
| ELDR
Vice-President scores in mayoral elections
ELDR Press Release, May 9, 2012.
On Monday, ELDR Vice-President Leoluca
Orlando scored 42% in the mayoral elections in the
Sicilian city of Palermo, crushing the candidates
of both left and right.
"The old politics is dead"
in Palermo, Orlando said, referring to the two big
blocs of the centre-right and centre-left parties
which have governed Italy for decades.
More than 9 million people were eligible
to vote in more than 900 towns and cities across Italy
in the first significant election since Italian Prime
Minister Mario Monti took office in November 2011.
MORE
Sir
Graham Watson on "Super Sunday" elections
and ELDR member party Armenian National Movement (ANM)
return to Parliament
|
|
French
Presidential Election: Verhofstadt expects a positive
boost to European policy
Press Release, ALDE, May 6, 2012
The French presidential election has
been followed with interest throughout Europe. France,
a founding member state, has a weighty influence within
the EU. Guy Verhofstadt, President of the Alliance
of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, welcomes the
election results as the President-elect has made strong
commitments to revitalise the European project.
Guy Verhofstadt said: "Nicolas Sarkozy is an
energetic man who has recently directed his energy
in taking positions on the eurozone crisis and on
the Schengen area that have been particularly disappointing
and alarming for those in Europe who, like me, expect
more from France"...
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| May 5, 2012 |
| 14,000
signatures in ten days collected for YABLOKO's candidate
in the mayoral elections in Omsk
Press Release, May 5, 2012.
Collection of signatures for registration
of Alexander Korotkov, YABLOKO member and ex Vice-Governor,
as a candidate in the mayoral elections in Omsk has
finished.
Within ten days only (from April 25
to May 4) YABLOKO collected 14,000 signatures in favour
of his nomination. Now the election headquarters of
the candidate have to select 9,916 signatures required
for Korotkov’s registration and wil forward them to
the Electoral Commission until May 7.
Alexander Korotkov, ex Vice-Governor
of the Omsk region, was nominated to run for the mayor
of Omsk at YABLOKO’s Federal Bureau meeting on April
20...
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| ELDR
Council in Yerevan
ELDR Press Release, May 2, 2012.
On Friday 11 and Saturday 12 May,
European Liberal Democrats will meet for the ELDR
Council in Armenia's capital Yerevan. On the agenda
are topics such as democratisation and human rights
in the southern Caucasus, energy security for Europe,
and liberal policies to tackle climate change as well
as other topical issues.
The ELDR Council will follow parliamentary
elections in Armenia to be held on Sunday 6 May. ELDR
member Armenian National Movement (AMN) will participate
on the list of the biggest opposition alliance, the
Armenian National Congress. AMN Leader Aram Manukyan:
"There is a glimmer of hope that these elections
may be different from the previous ones."
|
| May 4, 2012 |
| YABLOKO
to pay tribute to the memory of the victims of the
Second World War
Press Release, May 4, 2012.
The leaders and activists of the YABLOKO
party will pay tribute to the memory of the victims
of the Second World War. Sergei Mitrokhin, YABLOKO
Chairman, and Grigory Yavlinsky, YABLOKO founder and
member of Political Committee, will lay a wreath to
the Tomb of Unknown Soldier by the Kremlin wall on
May 8 at 17:20.
On Victory Day of May 9, according
to long-term YABLOKO’s tradition, Sergei Mitrokhin,
Grigory Yavlinsky and YABLOKO activists will honour
the memory of the dead soldiers at Preobrazhenskoye
Cemetery, the largest military burial in Moscow. The
participants of the ceremony will lay flowers there
at 13:30.
Address: Preobrazhenskoye Cemetery,
Preobrazhensky Val 17A. |
| Public
Prosecutor General's Office violated the law by refusing
to investigate the circumstances of the meeting between
Vladimir Putin and Silvio Berlusconi
Press Release, May 2, 2012.
Public Prosecutor General's Office
refused to investigate whether there was a conflict
of interests in the March meeting between President
Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin
and Italian citizen and businessman Silvio Berlusconi.
Mr.V.Volkov, Asistant to Public Prosecutor General,
informed (in the response to the inquiry by YABLOKO
leader Sergei Mitrokhin) that President and Prime
Minister can not be subject to the prosecutor's investigation.
This contradicts the Law "On Public Prosecutor's
Office", and YABLOKO is preparing a lawsuit...
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| Condolences
on the act of terror in Makhachkala, Dagestan
May 4, 2012
The Russian United Democratic Party
YABLOKO expresses condolences to relatives of the
victims of a double bombing in Makhachkala, Dagestan.
We are wishing all the injured a speedy recovery.
Despite repeated assurances by the
Russian leadership that terrorism has been defeated
in Russia, the Caucasus and the armed gangs are not
eliminated and terrorist attacks do not stop.
We demand an immediate investigation
into this crime and punishment of all guilty in this
in this crime in accordance with the law.
We demand that President-elect Vladimir
Putin should take investigation of this act of terror
under his personal control... |
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