September
30, 2011 |
| Yabloko:
“Putin-Medvedev Presidency Tandem Chooses Stagnation”
LI News Bulletin, Issue 252, September 29, 2011
Sergei Mitrokhin, the leader of Yabloko
(LI full member) commented on the news that President
Medvedev is going to head the United Russia party
at the parliamentary election in December 2011 while
Prime Minister Putin will run at the presidential
elections in 2012 as ”nothing unexpected.”
Describing the recent statement of Putin and Medvedev
as simply a “rotation in the tandem”,
Mitrokhin characterised the proposal as “a way
towards a new stagnation rather than modernisation,
and this stagnation may lead the country to the same
deplorable outcome like the stagnation of Leonid Brezhnev's
era.” Mitrokhin's concerns were echoed by Yabloko's
top parliamentary candidate Grigory Yavlinsky, who
warned that the announcement should be viewed as the
emergence of a “new political reality”
and that the system “created during Putin's
presidency implies that it should be maintained for
another 12 years, and perhaps 24 years, that is, until
2036.” Emphasising that a return to valid elections
at all levels is the only solution, the Yabloko leaders
called on citizens to voice their disapproval at the
parliamentary elections in December...
MORE
LI
President demands EU attention on Burundi
Lööf celebrated as new Centre Party leader
Liberals speak out for human rights at UNGA
Canadian liberals reject Conservative crime bill
SFP takes charge for gender neutral marriage laws
in Finland
ALDE supports EP agreement on financial oversight
in Europe
|
September
28, 2011 |
| YABLOKO
managed to collect half of the required voters’
signatures to get registration at parliamentary elections
Press Release, September 28,
2011
YABLOKO managed to collect about 80,000
signatures out of 157,000 required for registration
of the party in the parliamentary election campaign.
The law envisages the number of signatures
from a region should not exceed 5,000. Three YABLOKO’s
regional branches (in St.Petersburg, Saratov and Kirov
regions) have already accomplished this task.
Over 4,000 thousands were collected
in each of the four regions: Voronezh, Tomsk, Omsk
and Kurgan regions... |
| Centerpartiet
elects Annie Lööf MP as new Party Leader
ELDR Press Release, September 23, 2011.On
22-25 September, ELDR’s Swedish member party
Centerpartiet is convening for what has been described
as their most important Party Congress in a decade
in the scenic skiing resort of Åre, Sweden.
A large part of the drama has obviously
been triggered by the fact that current Party Leader
and Minister for Enterprise Maud Olofsson has announced
her stepping down, why the party elects a new Party
Leader, but also takes the opportunity to have a comprehensive
debate on the party platform and elect new Deputy
Party Leaders, a first in the long and proud history
of Centerpartiet... |
|
Verhofstadt:
Barroso must now convince Council of need for more
Europe
Press Release, ALDE, September 28, 2011
In today's State of the Union debate
in Strasbourg, Guy Verhofstadt welcomed President
Barroso's passionate defence of the European Union
and the central role of the Commission in proposing
common solutions to the current crisis.
"We stand in the eye of a financial
storm. Banks have lost trust in each other, stock
markets are at a 4-year low, growth prospects are
anemic and the spreads on government bonds in the
eurozone are increasing by the day. Only courage,
solidarity and leadership will provide a route out
of the current crisis"... |
September
27, 2011 |
| Grigory
Yavlinsky: There is an alternative
Grigory Yavlinsky's blog.
Video. September 27, 2011
...Because if this system does not
change, then it will impossible to amend or rebuild
it a few years. And we can influence the developments
only within a very short period - in 2.5 months through
elections to the State Duma. Whatever they are! And
at presidential elections that come in six months...
We should show that there is an alternative for the
country at these elections. And yet – I am stressing
the word “yet” here - we can do it! And
YABLOKO offers such an alternative... |
| YABLOKO’s
leader does not expect any changes in Russia’s
financial policy in view of the appointments
Interfax, September 27, 2011
According to YABLOKO’s leader
Sergei Mitrokhin, new appointments in the financial
and economic bloc of the Russian government are unlikely
to lead to changes in Russia’s financial policy.
“I think that any abrupt changes
in view of appointment of Anton Siluanov acting Finance
Minister and Igor Shuvalov supervisor of the financial-economic
bloc in the government are unlikely. Most probably
everything will remain as it is,” Sergei Mitrokhin
told to Interfax.
He also noted that replacement of
the Finance Minister is unlikely to lead to economic
upheavals... |
| Eugenia
Chirikova supported YABLOKO’s list of candidates
in Khimki
Press Release, September 26,
2011
Eugenia Chirikova, leader of the movement
in protection of Khimki Forest, supported YABLOKO’s
list of candidates to the Council of Deputes of Khimki.
According to YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin,
there were negotiations with Eugenia Chirikova on
her joining YABLOKO’s list, however she refused
to participate in the coming elections in principle... |
September
26, 2011 |
| YABLOKO’s
leader Sergei Mitrokhin spoke at an anti-corruption
rally in the Sverdlovsk region
Press Release, September 25,
2011
...According to Mitrokhin, the construction
company enjoyed support not only of the city parliament
which adopted corresponding amendments to the land
laws neglecting the rulings of the statutory court,
but they were also supported by the city government,
namely, Alexander Yakob, head of city administration.
“We can also see that even the governor sided
with the corrupt officials and businessmen demanding
to cancel the decision of the statutory court,”
Mitrokhin said... |
| Sergei
Mitrokhin: “The tandem chooses stagnation”
Press Release, September 24,
2011
...“President’s statements
that on Prime Minister’s post he will engage
in modernisation are hard to believe. As modernisation
means renewal of governing rather than rotation in
the tandem,” Mitrokhin added.
According to Mitrokhin, “this
joint proposal by Putin, Medvedev and the United Russia
party is “a way towards a new stagnation rather
than modernisation, and this stagnation may lead the
country to the same deplorable outcome like the stagnation
of Leonid Brezhnev’s era ended for the USSR.” |
| Grigory
Yavlinsky on the initiative of Putin-Medvedev’s
tandem
Press Release, September 24,
2011
“They want to leave everything
as it is for another 12 years. This means for ever.
It is for people to decide whether they agree with
this or not. Anyway, we have elections, whatever they
are now, ahead,” such a comment on the decision
of the ruling United Russia’s congress to nominate
Vladimir Putin for presidency and Dmitry Medvedev
for Prime Minister’s post was made by Grigory
Yavlinsky, YABLOKO’s founder, in Twitter. |
September
23, 2011 |
| Silent
Solidarity.All the political parties, but Yabloko,
criticize United Russia, but not Vladimir Putin
Nezavisimaya Gazeta, September
23, 2011
...Yabloko’s programme will
focus on three issues. "Fight against corruption,
introduction of an article into the Criminal Code
envisaging punishment for unlawful enrichment, and
firing of all state functionaries unable or unwilling
to explain their personal fortunes,” Yabloko’s
leader Sergei Mitrokhin said. “Also [we are]
for return to elections at all levels, public control
over secret services, and transition to professional
military service."
According to Mitrokhin, at present
Yabloko is about to publish a large number of copies
of its electoral programme, that will be delivered
to the voters by party activists. And before that
Yabloko had organised a number of actions and pickets,
and Kirill Gontcharov, leader of Youth Yabloko, had
even served several days of imprisonment in the Gelendzhik
prison for the action by the centre of the Russian
Orthodox Church [in Gelendzhik], also called “Patriarch’s
country cottage”.
Mitrokhin said that all the political
parties were Yabloko's political rivals adding that
Yabloko would criticize United Russia and its leader
Vladimir Putin. Yabloko’s leader was the first
and the only politician who dared to criticize Vladimir
Putin: “We have absolutely definite claims on
Prime Minister’s performance: namely, creation
of a resource-based economy, huge corruption and virtual
liquidation of political competition”... |
| Nothing
New in the East/À l’Est, rien de nouveau
Réforme, No 3430, 8
septembre, 2011
Les jeunes en Russie Russie Les 18-30
ans constituent en Russie la première génération
qui a grandi dans l’après-communisme.
Cette nouvelle jeunesse apporte-t-elle un vent de
changement ? Rien n’est moins sûr. Rencontres.
Vingt ans après la chute du régime soviétique,
le parti d’opposition Iabloko (« pomme
» en russe) dresse dans un rapport un bilan
alarmiste du sort de la jeunesse russe : passivité
civique, carriérisme égoïste, conformisme,
refus de chercher la vérité, niveau
d’éducation en baisse, orgueil national,
impréparation totale aux défis du XXIe
siècle... La situation sanitaire est tout aussi
préoccupante : contamination galopante au VIH
– un million de personnes touchées –,
explosion du nombre de toxicomanes mineurs en dix
ans, alcoolisme qui tue chaque année 40 000
jeunes.
La jeunesse moderne est la première
génération née dans la nouvelle
Russie…
the
original publication |
| Boris
Strugatsky, Nina Katerly and Samuel Lurier support
YABLOKO
Press Release, September 23,
2011
Prominent writers Boris Strugatsky
and Nina Katerly and Samuel Lurier, writer and journalist,
signed up for the registration of YABLOKO’s
list of candidates to the Legislative Assembly of
St. Petersburg.
Earlier, musician Yury Shevchuk, film
director Alexander Sokurov, writer Daniil Granin and
well-known activists fighting for protection of St.Petersburg
historic buildings and city environment historian
Alexander Margolis and Julia Minutina, Coordinator
of the Live City movement, put their signatures for
YABLOKO’s list.
St.Petersburg branch of YABLOKO has
been collecting signatures for registration of its
list of candidates in the election campaign to the
Legislative Assembly. YABLOKO must collect 40,000
signatures to get registration in the campaign... |
| Sergei
Mitrokhin demanded from President Medvedev to stop
unlawful construction works for Olympic Games in the
Sochi national park
Press Release, September 23,
2011
YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin
forwarded to President Medvedev a letter demanding
to stop unlawful excavation works in the lime-pit
the Sochi national park for construction of Olympic
facilities in Sochi. In June 2011, after his meeting
with environmentalists, Dmitry Medvedev ordered the
Russian Government and the regional government to
stop such works, however, President’s orders
have been sabotaged.
YABLOKO’s activists and activists
of the North Caucasus Environmental Watch detected
these violations. Excavation of lime in the national
park have already eliminated inhabitations of many
species of the rare plants, inflicted irreparable
damage to landscapes and fauna. However, this unlawful
pit has been guarded by the Federal Security Service.
President Medvedev learned this during
his meeting with environmentalists on June 21, 2011.
He ordered Prime Minister Putin and Alexander Tkachyov,
head of Administration of the Krasnodar Area, to stop
excavation works at the Sochi national park by August
1... |
|
Information
technologies can improve quality of life
Press Release, ALDE, September 22, 2011
On Thursday September 22nd, ALDE MEPs
Niccolo Rinaldi (IdV, Italy) and Antonyia Parvanova
(NMSP, Bulgaria) organised a seminar in the European
Parliament to evaluate the use of ICT (Information
and Communication Technology) for improving the quality
of life and healthy ageing of the population...
|
| LibDems:
Liberal voice in government loud and clear
LI News Bulletin, Issue 251, September 23, 2011
Addressing the Autumn Party Conference
in Birmingham this week, the leader of the Liberal
Democrats (LI full member) Nick Clegg underlined the
party's achievements in government, saying that an
impressive three quarters of the LibDem manifesto
“is being delivered in government”. ‘In difficult
times you need to know two things about your government:
that it has the strength to take the decisions needed
to fix the big problems; and that there are people
in that government who are looking out for you...
Our liberal voice is loud and clear', stated Clegg.
LibDem Party President Tim Farron, said: ‘We are a
radical Liberal Party putting radical liberal politics
into action and blocking Tory policies every day...'
MORE
LI
Bureau continues to focus on the Arab awakening
More seats for liberals in Danish parliament
Liberals call for democratic renewal ahead of Tanzanian
by-election
Reduced sentence for Sam Rainsy not enough
LI Prize for Freedom Laureate Marks the International
Day of Democracy
DPP Tsai promotes ‘Taiwan consensus’ in Washington
D.C.
|
September
22, 2011 |
| YABLOKO
begins its campaign for collecting signatures by the
State Duma and the Kremlin
Press Release, September 21,
2011
YABLOKO began its campaign for collecting
signatures by the State Duma and the Kremlin. Sergei
Mitrokhin also participated in the action in Moscow.
The activists managed to collect 150 signatures from
people from over ten Russian regions within an hour.
This was not an easy task as most of the people there
were guests from other countries and Russian citizens
were reluctant to give their passport data required
by law.
The police did not interfere this
time, as after the threats from the policemen to stop
“an unsanctioned picket” YABLOKO’s
leader Sergei Mitrokhin had sent a telegramme to head
of the Central Electoral Commission Vladimir Churov
informing the latter of such grave violation of the
law by the police. Churov had to explain to police
that collecting of signatures for parties registration
in the parliamentary campaign does not require any
permissions from the authorities.
YABLOKO has to collect 157,000 signatures
(whereas the number of signatures per each region
should not exceed 5,000) to get registered in the
State Duma election campaign. However, YABLOKO is
going to collect 200,000 signatures in 50 regions
so that make sure the party is registered even if
the Central Electoral Commission finds some signatures
faulty...
|
September
21, 2011 |
| Grigory
Yavlinsky: federal budget priorities should be changed
Press Release, September 21,
2011
According to YABLOKO, draft federal
budgets for 2012 and 2013-2014 published by the Russian
Finance Ministry require principled changes. The draft
budgets will be submitted to the parliament after
they are examined by the Russian Government.
“It is obvious that it is an
electoral budget aiming at maintaining high level
of expenditures on the items most significant for
2012 so that to ensure a certain electoral result,”
said Grigory Yavlinsky, member of YABLOKO’s
Political Committee. After 2012 it is planned to abruptly
and absolutely unreasonably change the federal budget
priorities.
Thus, expenditure on education will
be maintained at 4.6 per cent for 2012, but it will
be reduced to 3.9 per cent in 2013 and 3.3 per cent
in 2014. The same dynamics of federal budget expenditure
is envisaged for healthcare: 4.2 per cent for 2012,
3.5 per cent for 2013 and 3.0 per cent for 2014.
The YABLOKO party considers such abrupt
cuts on education and healthcare inadmissible...
|
| Yury
Shevchuk supports YABLOKO
Press Release, September 21,
2011
Leader of the DDT Group and famous
musician Yury Shevchuk put his signature for YABLOKO’s
candidates to St.Petersburg Legislative Assembly...
Earlier film director Alexander Sokurov
and writer Daniil Granin had expressed their support
to YABLOKO.
St.Petersburg YABLOKO has been collecting
signatures for registration of its list of candidates
to the Legislative Assembly in the election campaign.
|
| Leaders
of the Moscow branches of five political parties signed
Memorandum on the Work of Cross-Party Observers at
the coming parliamentary elections
Press Release, September 20,
2011
On September 20, leaders of the Moscow
branches of YABLOKO, CPRF, LDPR, Just Russia and the
Patriots of Russia signed Memorandum on Coordination
of Actions in Organisation of Cross-Party Work of
Observers at the State Duma elections in 2011. Signing
of the document and a press-conference took place
in the House of Journalists in Moscow...
|
September
19 , 2011 |
| Leaders
of the Moscow branches of four political parties to
sign Memorandum on the Work of Cross-Party Observers
at the coming parliamentary elections
Press Release, September 19,
2011
Tomorrow, on September 20, leaders
of the Moscow branches of YABLOKO, CPRF, LDPR and
Just Russia will sign Memorandum on Coordination of
Actions in Organisation of Cross-Party Work of Observers
at the State Duma elections in 2011. Representatives
from the Patriots of Russia and the Just Cause parties
are also invited to sign the memorandum.
Heads of regional branches of political
parties indicate that it is necessary to join efforts
so that to ensure transparent and legitimate counting
of votes free from violations and fraud.
The parties state their determination
to spare no efforts so that to ensure presence of
their observers at absolutely all Moscow polling station.
In accordance with election law, the parties are going
for the first time collect evidence (including photo
and video evidence) of all violations of the law...
|
| Central
Electoral Commission attested YABLOKO’s list
of candidates for parliamentary elections
Interfax, September 11, 2011
The Central Electoral Commission of
the Russian Federation attested YABLOKO’s list
of candidates for elections to the State Duma of the
Russian Federation...
YABLOKO’s federal list is topped
by Dr.Grigory Yavlinsky, party founder and member
of YABLOKO’s Political Committee, Sergei Mitorkhin,
party Chairman and Alexei Yablokov, head of YABLOKO’s
Green Russia faction.
“We are setting a tough goal
– creation of a faction in the State Duma. This
implies overcoming a seven per cent barrier, but we
should do this with a higher margin. A benchmark for
us is ten per cent,” Mitrokhin told journalists
on Monday. |
| Successful
liberal results
ELDR Press Release, September 16, 2011.
The stakes were high when yesterday’s
Danish Parliamentary elections got underway. Following
intense and good campaigning by all parties, spearheaded
by leading government party and ELDR Member Party
Venstre, polls close to election day showed the two
blocs on almost equal figures. The stage was therefore
set for a real nail-biter on election night. As the
vote count got underway, it quickly became clear that
this would be a good night for Danish liberals.
Not only did Venstre stand their ground
very well, clearly maintaining their position as Denmark’s
largest party, ELDR’s other Danish member party
Det Radikale Venstre were also speeding off the blocks
to substantially increase their 5,1 % share of the
electorate in the last elections in 2007... |
| Yabloko:
Abstention from elections not an option
LI News Bulletin, Issue 250, September 15, 2011
During its 16th Party Congress in Moscow,
LI full member Yabloko, prominent party figures expressed
their concerns regarding public calls for abstention
in the parliamentary elections scheduled for December
4th. Saying that the voters need to express their
opinions through voting, party founder Dr. Grigory
Yavlinsky said '…today Yabloko is the only registered
independent political party that will always stand
in defense of liberty, equality before law and the
inviolability of private property ... We are convinced
that these values are consciously shared by the majority
of our fellow citizens and it would be a betrayal
on our part if we deprive them of chance to make their
choice,” he said, adding: “Systematic
discrediting of elections is as dangerous as election
fraud. Because if you do not vote, then why should
you fight fraud?' Yavlinsky's views were confirmed
by party leader Sergei Mitrokhin, who added that “Yabloko
is a responsible political force,that is why it will
participate in the coming elections to the Russian
parliament”.
MORE
Partido
Patriota wins first round of Guatemala elections
Venstre increases support in Norway’s local
elections
ICC to investigate crimes in CI, says President Ouattara
Belgian LI members make progress in government talks
Nawara: “New historical achievement for the
Egyptian revolution…”
European liberals remain firm on further Syrian sanctions
Thai DP suspects government of curbing checks on power
ELDR VP on China: Liberals must speak out for humanity
|
September
14 , 2011 |
| Alexander
Sokurov supports YABLOKO
Press Release, September 14,
2011
Alexander Sokurov, world famous film
director and prize-winner of the 68th Venice International
Film Festival, put his signature for YABLOKO’s
list of candidates to St.Petersburg Legislative Assembly.
“Alexander Sokurov has repeatedly
said kind words about the YABLOKO party noting our
activities, especially in the city planning matters,”
Maxim Reznik, leader of St. Petersburg YABLOKO, said.
“We regard Alexander Sokurov’s support
as great honor to us and an incentive to even more
and better work”...
YABLOKO as a non-parliamentary party
is required to collect 40,000 signatures to participate
in the elections to St.Petersburg Legislative Assembly. |
| YABLOKO
Congress
ELDR Newsletter, September 14, 2011.
Ahead of parliamentary elections in
Russia, ELDR member party, YABLOKO held its 16th congress
on 10-11 September. The upcoming elections set the
tone for the congress with democratic development
and economic policy identified as two main pillars
for the campaign. “YABLOKO is a responsible
political force, which is why it will participate
in the coming elections to the Russian parliament.
Only YABLOKO due to the specifics of its ideology
and programme can challenge the monopoly of corrupted
bureaucracy merged with business,” commented
Sergei Mitrokhin, leader of YABLOKO...
MORE
Liberal
Academy 2011: Financing Europe – value for money?
Electoral
succes for Venstre in Norway
Congress
of Liberals’ Movement of the Republic of Lithuania
Fighting
anti-Semitism
ELDR
Policy Center displaying 35 years of adopted Liberalism!
|
September
13, 2011 |
| Grigory
Yavlinsky's manifesto: Elections versus a Revolution
Press Release, Video, September
11, 2011
Grigory Yavlinsky: “Do
not wean people away from elections”
Systematic discrediting
of elections is as dangerous as election fraud
Dr.Grigory Yavlinsky, one of the founders
of the YABLOKO party topping the party list at parliamentary
elections, made a programme statement at the 16th
Congress of YABLOKO. The first round of the Congress
finished on Sunday in the Moscow Region.
Addressing in his final speech "colleagues,
associates and opponents" of YABLOKO Grigory
Yavlinsky noted that the coming elections to the Russian
parliament (December 4) are "widely considered
being a sham and people are called for various forms
of boycotting". "We understand this position,
and we respect it, as well as many other political
positions, but we do not share it,” he stressed... |
| Yavlinsky
to Run for Duma With Yabloko
The Moscow Times, September
12, 2011
Yabloko party co-founder Grigory Yavlinsky
will come out of political retirement to head the
party's list in the State Duma elections, the party
announced Sunday at a Moscow congress. Yavlinsky,
59, handed over the reins of Yabloko, which he co-founded
in 1993, to Sergei Mitrokhin in 2008 but kept a seat
on the party's political committee. Now the duo will
occupy the top two spots on the party's federal list
in the December vote, Interfax reported.
The third spot will go to Alexei Yablokov, a noted
environmentalist and corresponding member of the Russian
Academy of Sciences. Also running on the party ticket
will be Novaya Gazeta editor-in-chief Dmitry Muratov;
Anatoly Leirikh, a senior member of Delovaya Rossia,
a business lobby group; and Andrei Rudomakha of Environment
Watch North Caucasus, a nonprofit group known for
reporting about a Black Sea mansion of unclear ownership
dubbed "Putin's Palace"...
the
original publication by The Moscow Times
|
September
10, 2011 |
| YABLOKO's
Congress. Sergei Mitrokhin about priorities for the
YABLOKO faction in the State Duma
Press Release, September 10,
2011
The 16th Congress of the YABLOKO party
began its work in the Moscow region.
YABLOKO’s congress started with
a minute of silence in view of air accident taking
the lives of the players of the Locomotive team.
YABLOKO’s Chairman Sergei Mitrokhin
opened the congress. In his report Mitrokhin gave
assessment to the present Russia’s political
and economic system and marked the priorities of the
work of the faction in the State Duma. According to
Mitrokhin, Russia had become a hostage of inefficient
state and inefficient economic system.
“YABLOKO is a responsible political
force, that is why it will participate in the coming
elections to the Russian parliament,” he said.
According to Mitrokhin YABLOKO’s
goal at the coming elections is formation of its faction
in the State Duma.
“Only YABLOKO due to the specifics
of its ideology and programme can challenge the monopoly
of corrupted bureaucracy merged with business,”
Mitrokhin stressed. He also noted that this monopoly
is supported not only by the ruling United Russia,
but also by other factions of the parliament proclaiming
themselves as the “opposition”... |
September
9, 2011 |
| Sergei
Mitrokhin’s book "Russia Needs Changes"
was launched at the Moscow Book Fair
Press Release, September 8,
2011
Presentation of the new book by YABLOKO’s
leader Sergei Mitrokhin was held at the International
Book Fair in Moscow on September 8, 2011. The book
entitled "Russia Needs Changes" presents
his vision of the situation in the country and contains
proposals how to change it.
The book consists of three parts:
"What is Happening to Russia?", "What
kind of Russia We Need?" and "How to Change
Russia?".
"Russia’s assets have been
stolen," such an assessment Mitrokhin gives to
the current political regime. "While the heads
of the state and the ruling party have been trying
to show that they care Russia's future and talks about
the need to modernize Russia, a large army of bureaucrats
and businessmen associated with these bureaucrats
have been continuing getting their profit [from the
federal assets]," Mitrokhin wrote.
Sergei Mitrokhin proposes to build
"a modern state of the European type" in
Russia. This state should be governed by law, be socially-oriented,
democratic, should eliminate corruption, and protect
the environment. People capitalism should replace
the present oligarchic capitalism, Mitrokhin wrote.
The society in such a state will be able to defend
its interests and control the authorities... |
| Estonian
growth tops Eurozone
LI News Bulletin, Issue 249, September 8, 2011
Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip
(Reform Party, LI full member) announced this week
that his country's GDP growth forecast is set to drastically
improve this year, nearly doubling from 4% to 7%.
Estonia, which adopted the Euro as recently as January
this year, has with its economic growth in the first
two quarters of the year outpaced all other 16 Eurozone
countries, making itself the star performer of the
fiscal union. Since the economic downturn in 2008,
Estonia has showed remarkable public sector austerity
— including a 20 % pay cut by the Prime Minister
himself. Earlier this summer Estonia's credit rating
was improved to double-A minus, a rare achievement
in the current economic crisis. Noting the importance
of trade in maintaining a high growth rate, Ansip
said: 'Our growth rate is based on exports and our
main export markets are Sweden and Finland. They are
doing really well but you never know.' Prime Minister
Andrus Ansip also emphasized that the improved growth
outlook would be mirrored by slower growth rates next
year.
MORE
International
liberals speak out in support of blogger Maikel Nabil
LI expresses condolences over death of former LI Treasurer
Griffiths
LI Deputy President attends APSA meeting in Seattle
LI VP Chakarov hails Danube River strategy as a liberal
project
DA Zille objects to Zuma’s Chief Justice candidate¦DA
Zille objects to Zuma’s Chief Justice candidate
Pérez Molina set to secure Guatemalan Presidency
Paddick selected as LibDem London Mayoral Candidate
|
September
8, 2011 |
| Grigory
Yavlinsky presented programme “Land-Housing-Roads”
Press Release, September 7,
2011
...According to Yavlinsky, huge public
demand in housing representing Russia’s specifics
when satisfied can lead the country out of stagnation.
This envisages gratuitous and mass-scale transfer
of federal lands to the citizens under their housing
construction and development of infrastructure (water,
gas and electricity supply), as well as construction
of roads at the expense of the federal budget, i.e.
the reserves accumulated for the recent years due
to high oil and gas prices. The programme stipulates
that about 14 million of families should get about
130 sq m of housing and a plot of land (for free)
up to 3,000 sq m in the European part of Russia and
up to 6,000 sq m in the Asian part. The programme
also envisages foundation of special state crediting
institutions for provision of long-term loans (up
to 50 years) to families for housing construction
under low interest rates... |
September
7, 2011 |
| Condolences
in connection with a plane crash taking the lives
of the Locomotive hockey team
Press Release, September 7,
2011
We are expressing our deepest condolences
in connection with the crash of the Yak-42 plane which
took the lives of the Locomotive hockey team. This
is a terrible tragedy for the families and friends
of all the victims of this terrible air disaster.
Also this is our common tragedy as we have lost one
of our best hockey clubs – the Locomotive team.
We commiserate with the fans who will always be loyal
to the memory to their favourite players.
We are sharing this grief.
Sincerely,
Sergei Mitrokhin,
Chair of the YABLOKO party |
| YABLOKO’s
founder Grigory Yavlinsky to run in the election to
St.Petersburg Legislative Assembly
Press Service of St.Petersburg
branch of YABLOKO, September 7, 2011
St.Petersburg YABLOKO became the first
political party to nominate candidates to run in the
elections to St.Petersburg Legislative Assembly. The
list of candidates was formed by the party conference.
According to the conference’s
decision, YABLOKO’s list in St.Peterburg will
be topped by one person – Dr. Grigory Yavlinsky,
YABLOKO’s founder, member of YABLOKO’s
Political Committee and Professor of the Higher School
of Economics. In his letter to the conference Grigory
Yavlinsky informed the delegates that he would be
ready to work in the Legislative Assembly of St.Petersburg.
Other YABLOKO’s candidates,
including leaders of the regional party branch, will
run from different electoral territories (constituencies).
Thus, Maxim Reznik will run at Vasiliyevsky Ostov
(territory No 2), Mikhail Amosov in Kalininsky District
(territory No 10 he had represented in the Legislative
Assembly before), Boris Vishnevsky in the Central
District (territory No 29) and Natalya Yevdokimova
in Nevsky District (territory No 34 she had represented
in the Legislative Assembly earlier)... |
| YABLOKO’s
congress to take place on September 10-11
Press Release, September 7,
2011
The 16th Congress of the YABLOKO party
will be held in Moscow in the coming weekend, on September
10-11. The Congress will discuss and adopt the electoral
programme of the party and approve YABLOKO’s
list of candidates for December parliamentary elections.
The congress will begin at 11:00...
Authors of different variants of the electoral programme
will present their projects from 11.00 to 14.00. Reports
by YABLOKO’s political leaders Sergei Mitrokhin
and Grigory Yavlinsky will take place within the framework
of this discussion.
Briefing by the party leaders will
be held at 14.00. Further discussion
of the programme and adoption of the final document
will take place after the briefing.The
next issue in the agenda will be approval of the party
list for December parliamentary elections...
|
| Court
classified documents on Transneft stealing federal
budget funds as secret
Press Release, September 6,
2011
On September 6, 2011, Khamovniki Court
of Moscow turned down YABLOKO’s inquiry to the
Audit Chamber to disclose the report on the audit
on the Eastern Pipe Line construction carried out
by Transneft.
In 2010 Alexei Navalny published in
his blog a document demonstrating that Transneft stole
USD 4 bln of federal budget funds the Eastern Pipe
Line construction. The document represented a report
made by the new management of Transneft on the inquiry
from the Audit Chamber. However, the final reports
of the audit conducted by the Chamber were classified
as secret and were not disclosed to the public... |
September
6, 2011 |
|
Europe's
financial crisis requires a federal solution
Press Release, ALDE, September 6, 2011
At the start of the new parliamentary
year after a summer of crisis, Liberals and Democrats
in the European Parliament are calling on the European
Commission to seize the initiative from the Member
States to resolve the persistent financial crisis
that is fast deteriorating and infecting the real
economy.
ALDE group leader Guy VERHOFSTADT
said:
"I appeal now for a bold and
brave approach, particularly from the European Commission
which has the right of initiative, to seize the initiative
back from Member States and get on top of the crisis
once and for all. We are returning from a summer of
indecision and mixed messages that have only served
to exacerbate the problems of the eurozone. Time is
now running out. Member States can no longer escape
the hard truths of their inaction and policy weakness
in the euro area...
|
| Launch
of a new book by Grigory Yavlinsky
Press Release, September 6,
2011
Tomorrow, on September 7, a new book
by Grigory Yavlinsky, founder of the YABLOKO party
and member of YABLOKO’s Political Committee,
will be launched at the Moscow International Book
Fair.
“The Federal Programme “Land-Housing-Roads”
described in the new book proposes a way out of the
economic deadlock Russia finds itself for the second
time in its recent history.
A simple and realistic programme for
getting the country out of stagnation, improving the
living standards and development of Russia’s
economy is described in the book in such a detail
that is easy to comprehend not only to experts but
to ordinary readers too. Virtually the book is a detailed
guidance for the Russian government and if implemented,
this will allow Russia to get a steady top position
in the world economy already in 10-15 years.”
The launch will begin at 13:30
All-Russia Exhibition Centre, Pavilion No 75, Hall
A (Reception Hall F5). |
| YABLOKO
supported women in their pro-choice right concerning
abortions
Press Release, September 6,
2011
On September 5 a rally against restrictions
on abortions was held in the centre of Moscow. The
organizers of the rally were initiative group "For
Free Motherhood", the Russian Association "Population
and Development", coalition “Bunch of Ashberries.
The Pro-Choice”. The only political party supporting
the right of women to make decisions on abortions
was the YABLOKO party. The participants were holding
banners "Do Not Oust Abortions into the Shadow
Sector!”, "A Conscientious Choice Is Better Than
Irresponsible Parenthood," "Medicine Must
Be Legal" and other.
The rally was held in connection with
parliament’s introduction of amendments into the draft
law on protection of health of citizens in the Russian
Federation, which will be examined by MPs in the second
reading already in November. The document introduces
a number of restrictions on abortions and also takes
abortions out of the list of services of "gratuitous
medicine". Also the draft law prohibits abortion
without the consent of a husband, obliges doctors
to give women "a seven days period for reflection",
makes women to take a mandatory “psychologist’s consultation”
on immorality of abortion and allows doctors to refuse
from the operation on "moral grounds"... |
| YABLOKO
conducted an action by Public Prosecutor General’s
office and the Federation Council on the seventh anniversary
of tragedy of hostages in Beslan school
Press Release, September 3,
2011
On September 3, on the seventh anniversary
of the terrorist attack against Beslan school YABLOKO
held a series of pickets in Moscow. (On September
1, 2004, terrorists held 1,100 hostages, mainly schoolchildren,
in one of Beslan schools for three days: 334 people
including 186 were killed and over 800 people were
injured. Yet the case still remains uninvestigated
and Senator Torshin, head of the Parliamentary Commission
for investigation of the act of terror has been keeping
silent).
Zoya Shargatova, Deputy Chair of the
Moscow branch of YABLOKO and party activists Gleb
Sitnikov, Zoya Gulyaeva and Ilona Korovchenko, held
banners "Seven years after. Who is liable?"
by Public Prosecutor General’s office and the
Federation Council. Another banner “Torshin,
how about the truth about Beslan?" addressed
Senator Alexander Torshin, head of the Parliamentary
Commission on investigation of the circumstances of
the tragedy. Police officers and representatives of
the Federal Security Service checked the documents
of the activists and took down their passport data,
however did not interfere with the picket...
A memory action devoted to the Beslan
tragedy also took place in St. Petersburg. The participants
of the rally lit 334 candles - one per each victim.
The candles were lined in the word "Beslan."
The action was held without any political symbols
and slogans. |
September
2 , 2011 |
| Mitrokhin
to Medvedev: “Modernise Duma through fair elections”
LI News Bulletin, Issue 248, September 2, 2011
Leader of LI Full member Yabloko,
Sergei Mitrokhin has during a rare meeting with Russian
President Dmitri Medvedev called for a thorough modernisation
of the Russian parliament. During the meeting for
all registered parties, Mitrokhin stated that the
“forthcoming elections represent an opportunity
to implement Russian modernisation plans”, voiced
by the President earlier. “Political modernisation
first of all means provision of equal possibilities
for political competition. And this should take place
during elections,” Mitrokhin stressed. “Today
the State Duma with dominance of one political party
is the most powerful anti-modernisation factor…
As it is this party which controls the parliament,
it cannot protect the society from bureaucrats' arbitrary
rule and corruption. Therefore a corrupted system
based on the laws adopted by bureaucracy and for the
sake of bureaucracy has been built in the country,
via the State Duma”, he added...
MORE
LI
President joins call for HR inquiry on surveillance
trade
Liberal ECON Chairwoman: “Saving the Euro must
not cost us the Union”
Ivorian Government promoted Ethical Charter
Danish liberal parties gear up for September elections
Singapore presidential elections disappointing, SDP
increasingly popular
FNF research on Ukraine rebuts EU membership claims
LI reminders to member parties
|
September
1, 2011 |
| YABLOKO’s
leader Sergei Mitrokhin participated in the environmental
rally in Volgograd
Press Release, September 1,
2011
On August 31 YABLOKO’s leader Sergei
Mitrokhin took part in an environmental rally organised
by the Volgograd branch of YABLOKO. The
action was held under the slogan "Let’s Return
Land and Water to People”.
According to Galina Boldyreva, Chair
of the regional branch of YABLOKO, people need protection
from those who grab coasts of rivers and water reservoirs.
During picketing YABLOKO’s activists distributed leaflets
explaining what laws were violated by raiders and
also distributed postcards in protection of the Volga-Akhtuba
flood from drying...
|
| President
Medvedev promised to study YABLOKO’s programme
“Land-Housing-Roads”
Press Release, August 30,
2011
...“From the economic point
of view, the programme is targeted at creation of
conditions for unprecedented growth of domestic demand,”
Mitrokhin said. This envisages gratuitous and mass-scale
transfer of [federal] lands to the citizens under
their housing construction and development of infrastructure
(water, gas and electricity supply), as well as construction
of roads at the expense of the federal budget, i.e.
the reserves accumulated for the recent years due
to high oil and gas prices.
“The effect from this programme
can not be overestimated from both social and political
aspects. A possibility to obtain a plot of land free
of charge from the state, e.g. 50 hundred square meters
of land and built 150 square meters of housing there
for half of its cost, - this will constitute a real
breakthrough from Russia’s economic stagnation,”
he added. Mitrokhin also noted
that, according to the estimates of party experts,
implementation of such a programme will create at
least 10 mln additional jobs and will ensure economic
growth by at least 3.5 percentage points...
|
| Congratulations
to all the Muslims on Ramadan!
August 29, 2011
Anyone who on prophet Muhammad’s covenant
has passed the spiritual test during the holy month
of Ramadan acquiring real spiritual treasure which
will support faithful Muslims throughout the year
and further in life.
Let the deeds of mercy that Muslims must do during
fasting and holidays provide support to the needy
and comfort the afflicted.
On behalf of the YABLOKO party
Sergei Mitrokhin,
Chair of the YABLOKO party
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