December 27,
2011 |
| Levada-Centre:
YABLOKO supporters turn up for the rally on December
24
Press Release, December 26, 2011.
According to the Levada-Center poll,
37.6 percent of the participants of the rally at the
Sakharov Prospect voted for the YABLOKO party. One
out of four is ready to support YABLOKO, even if the
leaders of unregistered opposition movements manage
to create their own parties by the next elections.
YABLOKO leader Grigory Yavlinsky was the most popular
politician for the participants in the rally (24.4
percent). Every third participant of the rally for
fair elections would be ready to support his candidacy
at the forthcoming presidential elections. These are
the results of the public opinion poll conducted by
Levada-Center... |
December 26,
2011 |
| Grigory
Yavlinsky at the rally: "Our goal is to change
the system"
Press Release, December 24, 2011.
In his speech at the rally on December
24 YABLOKO leader Grigory Yavlinsky called the coming
presidential elections "the second round"
which should be won and lead to making Russia an open
and free European country.
"The [parliamentary] elections
of December 4 were the first round and judging by
what we see here now we have not lost it," Yavlinsky
told addressing a 100,000 rally. "The second
round is presidential election, and we can not vote
there for any candidate".
"We should have our candidate,
we should fight for the second round, we must make
it into the second round! Next year we should change
the political system!" he said.
"Our goal can be reduced to only
evicting some persons from the power, our goal is
to change the corrupt, bribable, deceitful and really
illegitimate system," Yavlinsky noted...
In conclusion Grigory Yavlinsky called
the authorities to free one of the organizers of the
rallies Sergei Udaltsov who had been kept under arrest
despite his health condition. "Do not be so cruel,
ghoulish and petty, stop torturing him, release this
man," he said. |
| Director
of a cinema in Tuapse dismissed for refusal to rig
the results of the voting
Press Release, December 23, 2011.
The Krasnodar branch of the YABLOKO
party expresses its protest in view of dismissal of
Elena Kovalyova, Director of cinema theatre “Russia”
in Tuapse. YABLOKO stated that Kovalyova was fired
in violation of the Labor Code, but the real reason
behind the dismissal was her principled stand against
election fraud.
YABLOKO members are going to apply
to the Ministry of Culture and the Department of Culture
of the Krasnodar Area with a statement running that
such violations of the labour law are inadmissible...
|
December 21,
2011 |
| Over
40 per cent of votes were stolen from the YABLOKO
party in Saratov
Press Release, December 21, 2011.
The Saratov branch of YABLOKO stated
mass-scale fraud at elections to the State Duma in
the region. Comparison of the data from the protocols
given to observers at local electoral commissions
with the data published by the Central Electoral Commission
demonstrated a discrepancy amounting to thousands
votes. Votes given for different parties were ascribed
to the ruling United Russia party.
Thus 6,433 votes were added to United
Russia at 23 Saratov polling stations, which raised
the result of the ruling party by 41.62 per cent.
These votes were stolen from other parties: YABLOKO
lost 574 votes (i.e. 41.02 per cent of its vote).
For example, 110 votes were
stolen from YABLOKO at polling station 128: the Central
Electoral Commission web-site indicated that only
12 votes were given for YABLOKO instead of 122 votes
as of the protocol...
Last week YABLOKO submitted the first
eight suits to eight Moscow courts demanding to cancel
the results of the voting at eight polling stations. |
| YABLOKO
begins compiling the 'Churov List'
Press Release, December 20, 2011.
The YABLOKO party began compiling
the ‘Churov List’. The list will contain names of
heads (chairs, deputy chairs and secretaries) of electoral
commissions with documentary evidence of grave violations
of the law...
“It should become shameful to be engaged
in an election fraud. The circle around those engaged
in fraud should tell them that such actions are a
disgrace. Our list is aiming at formation of such
a climate,” said YABLOKO leader Sergei Mitrokhin... |
December 20,
2011 |
| YABLOKO
Congress called people to become observers from YABLOKO
at the forthcoming elections
Press Release, December 19, 2011.
...The decision of the Congress runs
that YABLOKO does not recognize the results of the
parliamentary elections, considers the State Duma
formed via rigged voting illegitimate and demands
recognition of the elections void. Delegates of the
Congress also indicated that collection of signatures
for participation in election campaigns for non-parliamentary
parties should be abolished, also the threashold for
passing into the State Duma should be reduced to 3
per cent. It was also stressed that all the political
organisations wishing to take part in elections should
have access to elections and public organizations
should get the right to nominate observers for elections...
Despite massive fraud, the results
of the party demonstrated sufficient increase of its
support: even according to the Central Electoral Commission
data, YABLOKO was supported by 2.3 million voters.
This support was the highest support in the large
cities (as of the official data below): over 10 per
cent in St Petersburg and Petrozavodsk, over 8 per
cent in Moscow and Pskov, over 7 per cent in Yekaterinburg,
Arkhangelsk, Tver, Perm and Tomsk, over 6 per cent
in Irkutsk , Murmansk, Yaroslavl, Tula, Novosibirsk,
Chelyabinsk, Vladivostok, over 5 per cent in Rostov-upon-Don,
Vologda, Kaluga, Krasnoyarsk, Samara, Novgorod, Volgograd,
Ivanovo, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, the Khanty-Mansiysk, Vladimir,
Omsk , Khabarovsk, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Ryazan
and Kostroma. In the 31 regions the party won over
3 per cent. |
| Sergei
Mitrokhin: after Kim Jong-Il death the North Korean
foreign policy will probably develop according to
the Chinese model
Press Release, December 19, 2011. Based on Interfax
report.
YABLOKO leader Sergei Mitrokhin expressed
his doubt that North Korean domestic polices may change
with the change of power in the country, however,
he did not rule out that Pyohgyang foreign polices
may become more open.
“I doubt that some democratisation
may be possible there at all. They have a stable totalitarian
regime. And there is no crisis of this regime there,”
Mitrokhin told to Interfax on Monday.
He also noted that despite of the
fact that the new North Korean leader Kim Jong-un
has been educated in the West, he “is unlikely to
cultivate Western values in the North Korea”.
“The values of the ruling clan where
he was brought up are most probably more important
for him than Western values. He is unlikely to abolish
the undivided power,” Mitrokhin said... |
December 19,
2011 |
| Grigory
Yavlinsky: "The outcome of the presidential elections
is not foredoomed"
Press Release, December 19, 2011.
Grigory Yavlinsky submitted to the
Central Election Commission (CEC) the documents on
his nomination to run in presidential elections in
Russia in March 2012. The decision on nomination of
Grigory Yavlinsky, the founder of the YABLOKO party,
was adopted by the party congress on December 18.
Now, the CEC must within five days
register authorized representatives of the party and
its candidate and give them a permission to open the
electoral account. Printing of lists for collection
of 2 mln of signatures in favour of Grigory Yavlinsky
required for his registration of a candidate in presidential
campaign will be paid from this account... |
| Grigory
Yavlinsky becomes presidential candidate from the
YABLOKO party
Press Release, December 18, 2011.
The majority (106 out of 109) delegates
of the YABLOKO Congress nominated Grigory Yavlinsky
candidate for presidential elections in Russia.
"The result of the [State Duma]
elections leaves us no doubt that we have far more
than two million supporters needed for the party to
register in the presidential elections," Grigory
Yavlinsky said.
He also said that the election campaign
is not a purely political procedure, it is "a
discussion with the citizens of a possibility and
a need of different policies that should be conducted
on different moral grounds".
"The result of the State Duma
elections demonstrated that alternative policy is
in demand in the society. And this should be moral
and programmed based policies," he added...
We know that the enemy is using dirty
tricks, that he is stronger and that the judges are
bribed. But we will still go all the way and will
fight honestly.
And no one will be able to reproach
us that we threw the towel on the ring before the
fight, got frightened and refused to fight.
YABLOKO will participate in the presidential
elections. And I ask all of you to support us. If
a fighter feels support from the stands, his strength
is doubled, and I know that from my own experience... |
| Condolences
on the death of Vaclav Havel
Condolences by Grigory Yavlinsky, December 19, 2011.
Vaclav Havel was the most advanced
politician because his guidance in his work and life
was always a moral imperative rather than narrowly
understood political viability.
The fact that the people of Czechoslovakia
elected Vaclav Havel in 1989 their president characterizes
first of all the thinking of the people and their
realization that such person should head the country
in the moment of abrupt changes. Such a coincidence
is rare in history, that is why the example of Vaclav
Havel is most valuable for the world. His performance
in the historic stage does not end today, on the very
day when his death has become another cause for assertion
of his principles.
I am transferring my sincere condolences
to Vaclav Havel’s wife, his friends, next of kin and
all the Czech people.
Sincerely,
Grigory Yavlinsky |
December 17,
2011 |
| A
5,000 rally against election fraud have just ended
at Bolotnaya square, Moscow
Press Release, December 17, 2011.
A rally for fair elections and against
election fraud have just ended at Bolotnaya square,
Moscow. The rally organised by the YABLOKO party have
gathered 5,000 people. Grigory Yavlinsky, Vladimir
Milov, leader of the Democratic Choice movement, Vladimir
Ryzhkov, co-chair of PARNAS, representatives of Just
Russia Dmitry Gudkov and Ilya Ponomaryov, Boris Nadezhdin,
head of the Moscow region branch of the Right Cause,
leaders of public organisations and movements and
citizens who acted as observers at the election of
December 4 spoke at the rally.
The resolution of the rally was read
by Grigory Yavlinsky. The participants of the rally
demanded immediate release of all those detained during
protest actions against election fraud, abrogation
of the results of the voting, investigation of the
fraud and punishment of those guilty of fraud... |
Yabloko
Activist Arrested at an Opposition Rally
LI News Bulletin, Issue 263, December 16, 2011
Konstantin Smirnov, one of the leaders
of the Ryazan branch of Yabloko (LI full-member) was
arrested for 7 days for allegedly “disobeying the
lawful orders of the police” for participation in
the “For Fair Elections” rally organized in Ryazan
on December 8. Such an act was clearly politically
motivated as a video of Simonov's detention shows
that he did not disobey police orders. This follows
the biggest protests organized since the collapse
of the Soviet Union over the highly disputed Parliamentary
elections in the country which took place last week.
The leader of Yabloko, Sergei Mitrokhin, has asked
the Head of the Central Electoral Commission, Vladimir
Churov, to voluntarily leave his post saying “it is
Churov who is personally responsible for the scope
of the fraud that took place in the country on the
voting day.” LI Vice-President on the Bureau and Chair
of LI Human Rights Committee, Abir
Al-Sahlani MP, was part of an OSCE election observer
mission in Russia and witnessed first-hand the mass
violations committed during the electoral process.
|
December 16,
2011 |
| Condolences
to the family and next of kin of journalist Khadzhimurad
Kamalov
Press Release, December 16, 2011.
The Russian United Democratic Party
YABLOKO expresses condolences to the relatives of
Khadzhimurad Kamalov, an independent publisher of
Dagestan social and political weekly "Chernovik",
killed tonight in Makhachkala, Dagestan.
This is a great loss for Dagestan
and all Russian journalism.
We can state with the great pain that
it has been deadly dangerous in Russia to engage in
honest journalism and openly discuss political issues.
It will be unfair if the people behind
the murder go unpunished... |
| Telephone
terrorists try to block work of YABLOKO's office on
the threashold of tomorrow's rally
Press Release, December 16, 2011.
Telephone terrorists again try to
hamper work of YABLOKO's office blocking party telephones
on the threashold of tomorrow’s rally against election
fraud...
The calls are coming in a chain, as
soon as a telephone hook is pressed there comes a
new call. The caller can not be identified.
The new attack is connected with tomorrow’s
rally against election fraud which will take place
at Bolotnaya square at 1 p.m... |
| Civil
activists and politicians to make speeches at a rally
on December 17
Press Release, December 16, 2011.
Rally “For Free and Fair Elections”
will take place at Bolotnaya square tomorrow on December
17 at 1 p.m. The rally is organised by the YABLOKO
party. “We applied for a permission to conduct a rally
right after we realized that votes of our electorate
were stolen at these elections,” Sergei Mitrokhin
explained. According to Mitrokhin, the goal is to
“join together civil activists and new people who
are showing their civil will towards changes”.“We
have to discuss all together how we will fight for
a new Russia,” he stressed.
The speakers at the rally will be
Grigory Yavlinsky, Eugeniya Chirikova, Vladimir Milov,
Ilya Ponomaryov, Gennadi Gudkov and Lev Ponomaryov.
The rally will be monitored by Sergei Mitrokhin. Such
public and political organisations as the White Ribbon,
Blue Buckets, the Federation of Automobile Owners,
the Party of People’s Freedom, the Democratic Choice,
the Left Front, Memorial and the Moscow Helsinki Group
will participate in the rally. |
December 15,
2011 |
| Freedom
to Sergei Udaltsov!
Statement by YABLOKO leaders. December 15, 2011.
The Russian United Democratic Party
YABLOKO demands to immediately stop a cruel and potentially
deathful treatment of Sergei Udaltsov.
The police actions are threatening
his health and life.
The decision of the court of the first
instance on his 15 days arrest bases on trumped-up
pretests and does not take into account the medical
condition of Sergei Udaltsov.
Sergei Udaltsov must be immediately
released so that to give him an opportunity for proper
medical treatment.
We emphasize once again, the question
at issues is human life.
Sergei Mitrokhin
Grigory Yavlinsky |
December 14,
2011 |
| Konstantin
Smirnov, one the leaders of the Ryazan branch of YABLOKO
and a journalist from Novaya Gazeta, arrested for
7 days
Press Release, December 14, 2011.
Today a Ryazan court of the first
instance passed a verdict on a seven days arrest to
Kostantin Smirnov, one the leaders of the Ryazan branch
of YABLOKO and a journalist from oppositional Novaya
Gazeta, arrested for 7 days.
The verdict based on the Article “Disobeying
to the lawful orders of police” for participation
in the For the Fair Elections rally which took place
in Ryazan on December 8.
The verdict was obviously politicized
as the video of Simonov’s detention demonstrated that
he did not disobey to the police orders. After voicing
of the verdict in the court Smirnov gave to the judge
a mask saying that “now you should be ashamed to show
undisguised in the streets, the mask will help you
to hide your face”.
Another journalist from Novaya Gazeta
Sergei Yezhov was sentenced to 9 days of arrest by
court.
You can sign a petition in support
of arrested journalists at the Ryazan web-site of
Novaya Gazeta... |
| YABLOKO
congress to decide of party participation in the presidential
elections
Press Release, December 14, 2011.
The second phase of the 16th Congress
of the YABLOKO party will take place on Sunday, December
18. The Congress will adopt a decision on YABLOKO
participation in the presidential election...
The congress will begin its work at
12-00.
The congress will be opened by YABLOKO
leaders Sergei Mitrokhin and Grigory Yavlinsky.
A briefing by the party leaders will
begin at 16-00... |
| Participants
of the civil rally of December 17 are to answer the
question: what to do next?
Press Release, December 14, 2011.
A civil rally will take place at Bolotnaya
square, Moscow, on December 17, 2011, at 1 p.m. The
key question put forward before the Russian civil
society: what to do next?
The YABLOKO party organizing the rally
is calling all the civil activists and organisations
to gather together so that to answer this question.
As of today the following organisations
have already confirmed their participation: The White
Ribbon movement, the Moscow Helsinki Group, the Memorial
society, For the Human Rights movement, Eugenia Chirikova
and her Movement for Protection of Khimki Forest,
The Left Front, Solidarnost, PARNAS and the Democratic
Choice... |
December 13,
2011 |
| Provocation
against the leader of the Karelia branch of YABLOKO
Statement by the YABLOKO party, December 8, 2011.
The YABLOKO party considers prosecution
of Vassily Popov, [leader of the Karelian branch of
YABLOKO], be politically motivated. This is an obvious
consequence of YABLOKO’s victory in the elections
to the Legislative Assembly of the region and a high
regional vote for the party in the elections to the
State Duma, this provocation means an attempt to discredit
someone who was able to get such high support from
the population.
On December 6 Vassily Popov, member
of YABLOKO’s Political Committee and leader of the
Karelia regional branch of the party, became a victim
of a provocation. During a staged road accident a
small dose of drugs was stuffed into his car. People
(non-residents of the area) who provoked the accident
and witnessed that the drugs allegedly fell from Popov’s
pocket were not checked by the police. Medical examination
showed that Popov had not used drugs, however, the
case was transferred to the court of the first instance... |
| Rally
"For Fair Elections!" to take place in Moscow,
Bolotnaya square, on December 17 at 1 p.m.
Press Release, December 13, 2011.
Civil rally "For Fair Elections!"
scheduled on December 17 at 1 p.m. will take place
in Moscow, Bolotnaya square (not at the Pushkin square
as announced earlier).
The rally is organised by the YABLOKO
party... |
| Sergei
Mitrokhin demands dismissal of head of the Central
Electoral Commission Vladimir Churov
Press Release, December 11, 2011.
At his speech in the Central Electoral
Commission on December 9, 2011, YABLOKO leader Sergei
Mitrokhin asked head of the Central Electoral Commission
Vladimir Churov to voluntarily leave his post. “It
is you who are personally responsible for the scope
of fraud taking place in the country [on the voting
day],” Mitrokhin told to Churov. He specially stressed
that YABLOKO was going to demand dismissal from head
of the Central Electoral Commission “in the State
Duma and other state bodies”.
“If you, our respected Central Electoral
Commission, do not announce re-counting of the votes
all over the country today, than it will take place
in the streets,” Mitrokhin concluded. |
December 12,
2011 |
| YABLOKO:
We will sweep Putin's group from power
Press Release, December 10, 2011.
YABLOKO leader Sergei Mitrokhin in
his speech at the rally at Bolotnaya Square, Moscow,
said the number of participants of the rally allowed
to speak with the authorities on behalf of Russia's
people. "We are here to say to the ruling group:
stop stealing votes at elections, stop stealing power
from us," Mitrokhin said...
Grigory Yavlinsky, YABLOKO top candidate
and founder of the party, thanked all who voted for
YABLOKO and promised that the party would protect
the votes of all the people who had come to elections.
Yavlinsky said that YABLOKO had already
forwarded a complained to the Central Electoral Commission
demanding to cancel the results of the voting. “However,
the Central Electoral Commission did not take our
complaint saying that the campaign is over. It is
not true! It’s only the beginning of the campaign!”
he added.
|
| YABLOKO
successful despite electoral fraud and intimidations
ELDR Press Release, December 8, 2011.
Sunday’s parliamentary elections in
Russia in which the share of the vote for the ruling
United Russia party fell to below 50% and the protests
that have been taking place the last few days in which
increasing numbers of people have been making their
feelings known about the lack of free and fair elections
provide signs of hope for the free and democratic
future of Russia, not only that Russian people are
fed up with the current regime, but also that they
are willing to be more out spoken and to show their
displeasure with the way the elections were conducted.
However, the voting and counting procedures
themselves were riddled with claims of fraud, corruption
and intimidation. ELDR member party YABLOKO was the
only democratic opposition party allowed to participate
and, as such, its activists and voters were subjected
to high levels of intimidation and restrictions. Election
observers faced a similar set of circumstances and
the OSCE has reported fraudulent procedural violations
and instances of apparent manipulations, including
serious indications of ballot box stuffing... |
| Liberal
Statement on the Election in Russia
Statement by the Liberal Party of Canada, December
8, 2011
OTTAWA— Liberal Leader Bob Rae made
the following statement today on the recent election
in Russia: "The people of Russia have voted and
have sent a strong message rejecting the kind of one-party
political domination that United Russia has been trying
to implement. The election results and the subsequent
protests demonstrate the need for the Russian political
process to be opened up to allow for the creation
of an effective opposition that would provide voters
with a meaningful alternative rather than the ideological
alternatives of communists and nationalists. The Liberal
Party calls on authorities to ensure that a viable
political space is opened up for an opposition that
is fully committed to democracy."
Liberal Foreign Affairs critic Dominic
LeBlanc continued: "The
recent election results, with incredible outcomes
of more than 90% of the population voting for United
Russia in some regions, have demonstrated how much
more needs to be done to build an effective democracy
in Russia. A strong commitment to making democracy
work from all the major political forces in Russia
can lead to positive change for the Russian people.
We are also concerned with the
tactics being used to deal with political demonstrations.
As we have seen on repeated occasions this year legitimate
protest cannot be effectively stifled by force. We
believe that it is important that Russians be given
the opportunity to express their commitment to building
a democratic Russia"... |
December 10,
2011 |
| On-line
broadcasting from the rally against election fraud,
December 10, 2011.
|
December 9,
2011 |
| "Russian
Elections Showed Many Shortcomings…" says LI
VP Abir Al-Sahlani
LI News Bulletin, Issue 262, December 9, 2011
Returning from an OSCE election observer
mission in Russia, LI
Vice-President on the Bureau, Abir Al-Sahlani,
expressed a great concern about the way in which the
recent Parliamentary elections were conducted in the
country. She commented saying "democracy is not
only about the election day itself but also about
the process before, during and after the elections.
The situation is worrisome and it will require closer
attention, especially with the upcoming presidential
elections in March 2012." Yabloko (LI full-member)
leader, Sergei Mitrokhin, also dismissed the election
results as illegitimate due to the mass violations
committed during the electoral process. Based on these
results Yabloko obtained only around 3 % of the popular
vote thus falling 4% short of making it to the State
Duma or the Russian Parliament. Mitrokhin was detained
by the Russian riot police at an opposition rally
in Moscow but was later released after showing his
certificate of candidate to the State Duma (until
the official announcement of the election results
candidates can be detained only with a Prosecutor's
order).
|
December 8,
2011 |
| SCHUSTER:
Putin spaltet mit Gewalt statt mit Reformen zu einen
FDP Press Release, December 7, 2011.
BERLIN. Anlässlich der Festnahmen
von hunderten Demonstranten in Russland erklärt die
Sprecherin für Menschenrechte und humanitäre Hilfe
der FDP-Bundestagsfraktion Marina SCHUSTER:
Das Vorgehen russischer Sicherheitskräfte
gegen friedliche oppositionelle Demonstranten verurteilt
die FDP-Bundestagsfraktion auf das Schärfste. Die
vorübergehenden Festnahmen des früheren Vize-Regierungschefs
Boris Nemzow, des Oppositionspolitikers Sergej Mitrochin
von der liberalen Jabloko-Partei sowie die Inhaftierung
von Journalisten und Menschenrechtlern sind eine weitere
Stufe der Unterdrückung von menschenrechtlichen Grundprinzipien
in Russland. Während Putin noch vor und während der
jüngsten Wahl zur Duma versucht hatte, mit zahlreichen
Manipulationen und Einschüchterungen die "Wahlen"
zu seinen Gunsten zu entscheiden, bekämpft er nun
mit offener Gewalt die Bestrebungen der Demonstranten
für mehr Demokratie und Rechtstaatlichkeit.
Die Kader der Regierungspartei Einiges Russland mit
Putin und Medwedew an der Spitze zeigen ihr wahres
Gesicht und bekämpfen die Rechte auf Meinungs- und
Versammlungsfreiheit sowie körperliche Unversehrtheit
durch Festnahmen und Repressionen. So schaffen Putin
und Medwedew weder Stabilität noch Vertrauen in Russland,
sondern zeigen wie hoch nervös sie in Wahrheit sind.
Sie fürchten den berechtigten Zorn der Bürger... MORE
|
December 7,
2011 |
| YABLOKO
has evidence of election fraud
CNN news, Video in English. December 6, 2011. |
| Mitrokhin
released, Gontcharov and Dmitryev still in the police
Press Release, December 7, 2011.
Three hours after his detention YABLOKO
leader Sergei Mitrokhin was released without any charges.
However, studying of the law “On Elections” stipulating
the candidate to the State Duma may be detained only
on Prosecutor’s order took the police three hours.
At 7 p.m. Mitrokhin and YABLOKO activists
came to Triumfalnaya square so that to participate
in the protest action against election fraud and breaking
of a rally of December 5...
On December 17 YABLOKO plans to conduct
a sanctioned rally against election fraud. The action
will be held in the centre of Moscow by Pushkin monument. |
December 6,
2011 |
| Sergei
Mitrokhin brought to the Meschanskoye police department
Press Release, December 6, 2011.
YABLOKO leader Sergei Mitrokhin is
detained at a rally at Triumfalnaya square, Moscow.
Now he is in the OMON (riot police) bus together with
30 other detained.
Kirill Gontcharov, leader of the Youth
YABLOKO, is also in one of the buses together with
20 other detained. They have not yet arrived to any
police department as the police have been calling
their bosses asking where to take the detained. It
should be also noted that passers-by who did not participate
in the rally were also detained and are in the same
bus with Kirill. Journalist Bazhena Rynska who was
sent to Triumfalnaya square by her paper is in same
bus with Kirill.
Protesters are still coming to the
square. According to different estimates, there were
about 2,000 people as of 8 p.m., however, it is difficult
to give a precise assessment as supporters of the
opposition are "split" by police into smaller
groups and ousted to the neighbouring streets. Police
does not allow the protester to come to the square.
However, the police and OMON (riot police) are defending
the rally of the Nashi, pro-Kremlin youth movement,
and supporters of the ruling United Russia chanting
"Medvedev, Victory!" ... |
| Sergei
Mitrokhin detained during a rally at Triumfalnaya
square, Moscow
Press Release, December 6, 2011.
YABLOKO leader Sergei Mitrokhin is
detained at a rally at Triumfalnaya square, Moscow.
Now he is in the OMON (riot police) bus together with
30 other detained...
Kirill Gontcharov is also detained.
Journalist Bazhena Rynska is in same bus with Kirill.
The square is at present circled by
young supporters of the ruling United Russia party.
They are chanting “Medvedev, Victory!” and hold placards
with Medvedev’s photograph.
Mitrokhin pointed out to policemen
an obvious violation of the law – the actions of United
Russia supporters that can be qualified as an unsanctioned
rally and these young people should be detained.
Several hundreds supporters of the
opposition who have already arrived to the rally can
not get to the square, but they are chanting their
slogans. People are squeezed on the pavements between
exits from the metro station and the square. Policemen
oust people to Tverskaya-Yamskaya square, tearing
someone out of the crowd and taking them to police
cars... |
December 5,
2011 |
| The
Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO thanks all
who has voted for Russia’s democratic future
Statement by the YABLOKO party, December 4, 2011.
The Russian United Democratic Party
YABLOKO thanks all who has voted for Russia’s democratic
future.
Looks like the answer to the significant
question of the voting day has been given by television
before the real counting of the votes: there will
be no democratic faction in the State Duma. Passing
into the Duma of the old Russian nomenclature factions
was predetermined and the redistribution of mandates
between them is not that important...
These elections persuaded us once
again that our duty is to continue movement towards
democracy – a real democracy which Russia has not
had.
The first step will be strengthening
of YABLOKO’s links with active citizens who came to
us during the campaign for determination of the strategy
and tactics how to oppose the arbitrary rule and violations
of the law that, without doubt, will only increase
and built new networks of civil political action.
Do not loose hope or loose your heart!
Time is with us! Russia needs our
victory! Russia demands changes!.. |
| YABLOKO
made local electoral commission recognize its victory
at a Moscow polling station
Press Release, December 5, 2011.
Local electoral commission had to
recognize YABLOKO’s victory at Moscow polling station
No 1707 where YABLOKO won with 25.38 per cent.
Throughout the night observers and
YABLOKO’s candidates opposed members of the electoral
commission who did not want to sign the final protocol.
According to the protocol (which was
hanged on the wall of the polling station) YABLOKO
obtained 235 votes (25.38 per cent), followed by the
CPRF with 217 votes (23.65 per cent) and the ruling
United Russia came third with 192 votes (20.73 per
cent). However, members of the electoral commission
refused to sign such protocol as final (the observers
had to get the copies of this protocol)... |
| Observer
from the communist party: YABLOKO obtained over 19
per cent but their votes were spread between other
parties
Gazeta.ru, December 5, 2011.
Natalya Yarigina, observer from the
COPRF (the communist party) in polling station No
2637 in Moscow, was detained by the police after she
refused to redistribute YABLOKO’s votes between United
Russia, CPRF and Just Russia parties and then called
head of the electoral commission a “groveller”, Yarigina
told to Gazeta.ru.
“Head of the commission Nadezhda Gazina
attacked me with fists when I asked her if she like
to be a groveller. Then her husband joined her. They
were pulled off by the students who were with us at
the polling station. Gazina complained on me at the
police stating that I had allegedly beaten her, now
I am taken to the police department and they are going
to file a criminal case against me,” Yarigina said.
According to Yarigina, head of the
electoral commission offered a bribe to all the members
of the electoral commission in exchange for their
“help” in counting of the votes given for YABLOKO
in favour of other parties passing into the State
Duma. “She explained us that everything had been determined
already and nothing depended on us, and this made
me revolt. At our polling station YABLOKO obtained
19.2 per cent. However, they probably do not have
it now already,” added the detained... |
| Police
is ousting into the street observers preventing stuffing
of faked bulletins in favour of the ruling party in
a Moscow polling station
Gazeta.ru, December 5, 2011.
Nine hours after the voting at polling
station No 2648 at Ramenki street, Moscow, was finished,
policemen who refused to give their names, ousted
observers with a consultative voice from the polling
station, Alexandra Borisova, one of the observers,
told to Gazeta.ru.
“Throughout all this time we have
been preventing stuffing in of [faked] 182 ballots
in favour of the [ruling] United Russia. Consequently,
after Svetlana Makskova, head of the local electoral
commission, called the police Sergei Ovchinnikov,
representative of a territorial electoral commission
came and ordered the police to throw us behind the
door,” Borisova told. According to her, after the
first counting of the votes, the first place is taken
by the CPRF, the second is shared by United Russia
and YABLOKO, but the electoral commission refuses
to approve the final results of the voting. “Now they
are preparing to stuff in [faked bulletins in favour
of the ruling party]. In addition to 182 bulletins
we have detected, we suspect that they are ready for
a mass-scale fraud. There are 2,017 voters registered
at the polling station, and 1,800 bulletins were taken.
According to our estimations, 958 people have voted
since the beginning of the voting. And only 294 bulletins
were left, the question is where over 400 bulletins
are gone,” Borisova said... |
| December
2, 2011 |
| On
the work of YABLOKO’s head quarters
Press Release, December 2, 2011.
YABLOKO’s head quarters will be opened
for journalists from 12:00 on December 4 until morning
December 5.
Address: Pyatnitskaya ul 31/2 bldg
2 (metro stations Novokuznetskaya and Tretyakovskaya).
Journalists will be able to observe
the work of 30 hot line operators. Table with violations
(from all the regions) will be broadcasted on a large
screen.
Also dozens of mobile groups comprised
of lawyers, candidates to the State Duma and journalists
will work in Moscow. Mobile groups will visit the
most problematic electoral districts with reported
violations.
The first briefing will take place
in the headquarters at 15:00. At this briefing YABLOKO
leaders will report the observed violations and answer
questions.
The second briefing will take place
at 23:00. At this briefing YABLOKO leaders will report
the observed violations and draw preliminary results
of the elections... |
| Grigory
Yavlinsky to make a speech at YABLOKO's election observers
school
Press Release, December 2,
2011
Today on December 2, Grigory Yavlinsky
will make a speech at YABLOKO’s election observers
school.
The school starts at 3 p.m.
Address: Pyatnitskaya 31/2, bldg 2,
Moscow |
| Candidate
to run in presidential elections from the democratic
opposition will be determined at primaries
Press Release, December 1, 2011.
The YABLOKO party will participate
in the presidential elections scheduled on March 2012.
YABLOKO’s candidate to run in the elections will be
Grigory Yavlinsky, YABLOKO founder and member of the
party Political Committee. Such a statement was made
by YABLOKO Chair Sergei Mitrokhin at his press-conference
in Vladimir.
According to Mitrokhin, such a decision
was adopted by the Political Committee.
However, Mitrokhin also noted that
YABLOKO would be ready to discuss other candidacies
from the democratic opposition. “We are not imposing
our candidate, but we offer to discuss all the candidacies
during primaries, and we invite all the democratic
parties, organisations and movements in spite of the
fact whether they were registered or not to participate
in such primaries,” Mitrokhin said... |
| Veteran
liberal Grigory Yavlinsky to run for president in
2012
RIA Novosti, December 1, 2011.
MOSCOW, December 1 (RIA Novosti)-Russia's
liberal Yabloko party has nominated its first leader
and co-founder, Grigory Yavlinsky, to run for president
in March next year.
Yabloko's co-leader Sergei Mitrokhin
said Yavlinsky could be the main opposition coalition
candidate but added that it was open for discussion.
"We do not wish to impose our
candidate, we wish to offer discussion on all candidates
at a primary election to which we invite all democratic
parties and organizations," Mitrokhin told a
news conference on Thursday... |
| "Putin
has been in power for 12 years already and is going
to stay for another 12-year term. How do you like
it?"
RBC Daily, December 1, 2011. Interview with Grigory
Yavlinsky by Olga Zhermeleva
Grigory Yavlinsky: Corruption and
lawlessness reached such a scope that the gap between
the society and the state became only broader. And
in Russia revolutions and coups d’etat happen exactly
when the gap between the society and the state becomes
deep, not during wars or famine or epidemics. Such
was the case in 1917 and 1991. A disruption and a
disaster. And not one comes into the streets to protest
when the state disappears. And then a republic emerges
on the place of an empire. And everyone is happy.
And then the republic is taken over by bandits who
set a dictatorship for 80 years.
Question: And is radicalisation of
the views and a new coup d’etat possible today?
Grigory Yavlinsky: No, there will
be no coup d’etats. A collapse is more likely. The
regime cannot help getting weaker. When a wall is
falling down you can try and prop it, but when all
the bricks are falling down – it can not be helped. |
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