LI President on Cuban dissident winning Sakharov Prize

Liberal International News Bulletin. Issue 207. October 29, 2010

Commenting on Cuban journalist and dissident, Guillermo Fariñas being awarded the prestigious 2010 Sacharov prize, given by the European Parliament to proponents of freedom of speech worldwide, LI President Hans van Baalen, MEP (VVD) said he was “very happy” with Fariñas victory; “The prize means worldwide attention for one person. Winning the Sacharov prize makes it difficult for a regime to make somebody “disappear” (...) Cuba realises that it is being watched”... MORE

¦Deputy President attends UN 3rd Committee on Human Rights
¦PM Rutte speaks on government agreement
¦ALDE - WikiLeaks revelations should be discussed at EU-US summit
¦Building a Liberal Europe - book launch by Graham Watson
¦Cambodian opposition responds to EU resolution
¦Gerakan calls for media freedom panel in Malaysia

The Environment and Politics in Russia

by Alexei Yablokov

Russian Analytical Digest, 79/10

Russia faces serious ecological challenges, which are having adverse effects on both the natural environment and the health of the population, demonstrated by its lower than average life expectancy for a developed country. The problems are exacerbated by the state authorities’ policy of “de-environmentalism” or “de-ecologization”, whereby environmental costs are deemed acceptable in the quest for economic gains. A significant change in mindset towards the environment is required in both the power-structure and wider society in order to arrest the trend of environmental neglect in Russia.

The Consequences of Environmental Neglect Every year in Russia, approximately 35,000 people die as a result of car accidents, 40,000 from alcohol poisoning and 490,000 from environmental-related diseases (data taken from WTO in 2004). Furthermore, experts claim that about half of Russia’s 180,000 miscarriages per annum are due to environmental causes... Download

Reproduced with the kind permission of Forschungsstelle Osteuropa, Bremen, Center for Security Studies, Zurich, and Research Centre for East European Studies, http://www.res.ethz.ch/analysis/rad/

YABLOKO to participate in the Returning of the Names action

Press Release, October 28, 2010

Tomorrow, on October 29, on the threashold of the Memory Day of the Victims of Political Reprisals, the Memorial human rights society organises the Returning of the Names action by the Solovetsky Stone, Lubyanka square, Moscow. The participants of the action in turn will read our loud the names of the people shot in Moscow during Stalin’s reprisals. The action will be held from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The leaders and activists of the YABLOKO party will read the names of the victims of Stalin’s reprisals at 2 p.m. Over 30,000 people were shot in Moscow only during 1937-1938...

YABLOKO paid tribute to the victims – hostages of Dubrovka theatre

Press Release, October 26, 2010

Today activists of the YABLOKO party and its leader Sergei Mitrokhin together with other Muscovites came to pay tribute to the hostages who eight years ago came to the Nord-Ost musical in the Theatre Centre at Dubrovka and were killed during the rescue operation...

European Parliament resolution on the situation of human rights in the North Caucasus (Russian Federation) and the criminal prosecution against Oleg Orlov

European Parliament. Resolution. October 20, 2010

...… 18. Calls on the Russian authorities to comply with all the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights and to implement measures to rectify violations in individual cases, including by ensuring that effective investigations are conducted and by holding the perpetrators
accountable, and to adopt general measures to implement the rulings, including policy and legal changes to prevent similar violations recurring;
19. Recommends that the state authorities at federal, regional and local level start a constructive dialogue with civil society activists so that functioning democratic structures can develop;
20. Calls for the EU-Russia human rights consultations to be stepped up and urges that this consultation process be opened up to effective input from the European Parliament, the Duma, the Russian judicial authorities and civil society and human rights organisations; calls on Russia to respect fully its obligations as a member of the OSCE and of the Council of Europe;
21. Draws particular attention to the situation of thousands of North Caucasus refugees in EU Member States, with special reference to the diaspora from Chechnya living in Austria, which amounts to at least 20 000 people, including many minors; expresses serious concern, in that connection, at the murder of a Chechen refugee in Vienna in May 2010 and the grave allegations regarding the Chechen President’s implication in that crime; calls for the EU Member States to implement a more coordinated, coherent and visible policy on the protection of North Caucasus refugees on European soil, in accordance with their humanitarian and human rights obligations;
22. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Government and Parliament of the Russian Federation, the OSCE and the Council of Europe. MORE

See also: Human Rights

Verhofstadt: EU should raise WikiLeaks revelations at next EU-US summit
Press Release, ALDE, October 26, 2010

"At the forthcoming summit with the United States scheduled for 20th November in Lisbon the European Union should raise the matter of the very serious allegations highlighted this week by WikiLeaks of collaboration in torture and killing of Iraqi detainees during the war in Iraq," said Guy Verhofstadt, President of the Liberals and Democrats in the European Parliament.

"This will obviously be a sensitive topic for the US Administration but partners in the Transatlantic Alliance must be clear on common rules of engagement in times of conflict if we are to retain any moral standing in the world. Whilst the allegations concern actions undertaken during the previous Bush Administration, it will be incumbent on the present one to investigate the abuses, pursue those complicit and lay down stricter guidelines for conduct in combat." MORE

The murder of Larissa Yudina is still uninvestigated

Statement by the YABLOKO party, October 22, 2010

Today our friend, journalist and editor of the Sovetskaya Kalmykia Today paper Larisa Yudina would have turned 65.

She was killed on June 7, 1998. The perpetrators and the organiser of this murder – S.Vaskin who had had several criminal records and served as Legal Advisor to the President of Kalmykia Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, were found and convicted.

However, the person who ordered the murder has not been named yet, in spite of the fact that the investigation knows his name...

No anti-corruption audit envisaged for Russian MPs

Press Release, October 21, 2010

“Anticorruption campaign launched by President Medvedev turned out to be another PR action,” that’s how YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin commented on the answer he received from the Apparat of the Russian government on his demand to conduct anticorruption audit against Boris Gryzlov, Speaker of the State Duma and Chair of the Supreme Council of the ruling United Russia party, and seven more deputies of the State Duma. Sergei Mitrokhin forwarded a letter to Sergei Narishkin, head of Presidential Administration and Sergei Sobyanin, head of the Apparat of the Government, demanding to initiate anticorruption audit against deputies of Duma who violated the rules of publishing income statements.

These letters became the first steps adopted by the YABLOKO party targeted at setting control over incomes and property of public persons. Such control was announced by President Medvedev after applications by Transparency International – Russia...

About 11,000 deputies were elected unopposed at the recent regional and municipal elections

Press Release, October 21, 2010

YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin, finds it necessary to urgently abrogate the norm of the law allowing to conduct elections with only one candidate running. According to Mitrokhin, on October 10, 10,929 candidates obtained their deputies’ mandates after running unopposed at the recent regional and municipal elections...

"The price of participation in local elections is very high for independent candidates – one can loose his or her job. However, there are only a few chances to win over the administrative resource. If we ban such upopposed elections, the local organisations of the ruling United Russia party will have to reduce their pressure on the opposition," Mitrokhin said...

Parties’ Council gave its recommendations to the candidate on the post of the Moscow Mayor

Press Release, October 21, 2010

The Parties’ Public Consultative Council with the Moscow parliament (the Moscow City Duma) sent today a letter to Sergei Sobyanin, candidate to the post of the Mayor of Moscow proposed by the President to the Moscow City Duma. The address contains ten paragraphs in total representing definite measures for improvement of socioeconomic situation in Moscow...

The European Court of Human Rights admitted the claim on annulment of the results of Russian parliamentary elections of 2003

Press Release, October 20, 2010

Today the European Court of Human Rights admitted the complaint on the results of parliamentary elections of 2003 submitted by YABLOKO, CPRF and several individuals including Sergei Ivanenko, Vladimir Ryzhkov, Irina Khakamada, Garry Kasparov, Vladimir Solovyov and journalists Eugeni Kiselyov and Dmitry Muratov. The claim will be examined at the Court’s meeting shortly.

Now the plaintiffs and the Government of Russia should give answers on the follow-up questions set by the court. Before the claim was submitted to Strasburg, the claim was examined by Russian courts. In 2004 the Supreme Court of Russia rejected the claim...

A party in memory of Larissa Yudina to take place in YABLOKO’s office

Press Release, October 20, 2010

On October 22, the birthday of Larissa Yudina, Editor-in-Chief of Sovietskaya Kalmykia newspaper, murdered in July 1998, the YABLOKO party will conduct a party in her memory. The party is devoted not only to Larissa Yudina, but to all the journalists who died implementing their work...

Nuclear Disarmament and Arms Control – Using the New Momentum in the Debate for a “Global Zero”

Resolution of ELDR Congress, Helsinki, October 13-15, 2010

submitted by FDP, Germany, and YABLOKO, Russia

The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party, convening in Helsinki, Finland, on 13-15 October 2010:

ELDR welcomes the new drive in the debate on nuclear disarmament and arms control that has been neglected for too long. This progress is reflected in particular in President Obama’s speech in Prague and also in the debate on the declining importance of nuclear weapons laid down in NATO’s new strategic concept and in the successful conclusion of the 2010 Review Conference on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT)... MORE

Press Conference in Stavropol on the results of regional elections

Press Release, October 19, 2010

By the Press Service of the Stavropol YABLOKO branch. A press conference on the results of elections in the Stavropol Area took place in the state television company Stavropolye on October 13. Euvgeni Demyanov, Chair of the Stavropol Electoral Commission, Azhdaut Ibragimov, director of the Stavropol radio and heads of regional branches of political parties participated in the press conference.

YABLOKO to control the population census

Press Release, October 19, 2010

YABLOKO is going to perform public control over the population census conducted in Russia from October 14 through October 25. According to mass media reports, as well as information from web blogs and forums, the census is accompanied by mass-scale violations of citizens’ rights. The Russian Statistical Agency (Rosstat) concluded agreements with Moscow universities so that to employ students as census takers. However, students are made to work mandatory and are freed from their classes during this period. Those who do not agree to skip classes are threatened with expelling from their universities. The students are made to work 12 hours a day (from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.) without any guarantees of a wage pay. Moreover, they are not allowed to get their copies of such labour contracts which is another violation of the law.

According to mass media, in some Russian region census takers demand from the citizens, in violation of the law “On the All-Russia Census”, to provide their passport data. It also turned out that census stations are headed mostly by the ruling United Russia party members. A number of census stations are even located in United Russia offices. YABLOKO expresses its concern that the census data will be used by the ruling party in its political goals...

Grigory Yavlinsky participates in the Forum 2000 Conferences

Press Release, October 14, 2010

Member of YABLOKO's Political Committee and founder of YABLOKO Grigory Yavlinsky participated in the Forum-2000 Conferences in Pragye on October 10-12, 2010. The idea for the Forum 2000 Conference originated in 1997, when former Czech President Václav Havel, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Elie Wiesel, and philanthropist Yohei Sasakawa invited world leaders to Prague to discuss the challenges humanity was facing on the threshold of a new millennium. Since then, Forum 2000 evolved into a successful and widely recognized conference series, where distinguished guests continue to address a diverse international community on topics ranging from religious dialogue to human rights and national security.
According to former Canadian Prime Minister Kim Campbell, “The best way to turn philosophy into action is to bring together the philosophers and actors as President Havel does at Forum 2000.” Over the years, Forum 2000 has also become a true Prague tradition, followed closely by the media, political, intellectual, and business elites, and the interested public...

European liberals’ congress adopts a resolution of nuclear disarmament motioned jointly by German FDP and YABLOKO

Press Release, October 15, 2010

Today, on October 15, the Congress of the European Liberals and Democrats party, ELDR, (Helsinki, October 14-15) adopted resolution Nuclear Disarmament and Arms Control – Using the New Momentum in the Debate for a “Global Zero” motioned jointly by the German FDP party and YABLOKO. “ELDR perceives nuclear disarmament and arms control as a corner stone of the global security architecture. ELDR explicitly commits itself to the establishment of a world free of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction. However, ELDR wants the progress in the current debate to have an impact on conventional disarmament,” runs the resolution...

...Yesterday on October 14, YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin representing the party at the ELDR Congress met with Ambassador of Russia in Finland Alexander Rumyantsev for discussion of some issues of Russia-Finland relations. In addition, Mitrokhin and Rumyantsev (who had previously headed the Russian Ministry for Atomic Energy in 2001-2005) discussed the problems of the nuclear energy sector.

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate 2010
Press Release, October 12, 2010.

Chinese human rights activist and writer Liu Xiaobo who is currently serving 11 years of imprisonment in a China for alleged "inciting subversion of state power" has become 2010 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.

In February 2010 Liu Xiaobo was nominated for the Nobel Peace prize by Václav Havel, Dalai Lama, André Glucksmann, Vartan Gregorian, Mike Moore, Karel Schwarzenberg, Desmond Tutu and Grigory Yavlinsky...

European liberals’ Congress discusses relations between Russia and EU

Press Release, October 14, 2010

Today, on October 14, a congress by the European Liberal Democrats party (ELDR) opened in Helsinki. YABLOKO is a full member of ELDR. A welcoming address to over 500 delegates of the Congress was made by Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck MEP, ELDR President, and Mari Kiviniemi, Prime Minister of Finland. In her speech Mari Kiviniemi dwelled upon relations between Russia and Finland stating that Russia was “the key economic partner for Finland”. Prime Minister of Finland expressed her opinion that one of the main problems for Russia at present was overcoming Russia’s dependence on raw. Mari Kiviniemi also expressed her hope that Russian-Finnish cooperation will be broadening in all the spheres: economy, education and culture, humanitarian exchanges and other...

In his speech ... Sergei Mitrokhin told about the situation with the recent elections in Russia and also discussed a number of YABLOKO’s foreign policy initiatives...

ELDR Congres doubles its figures

Press Release, ELDR, October 13, 2010

We are growing in size and significance", said Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck MEP, ELDR President, in opening remarks to the journalists on the first day of the European Liberal Democrats annual Congress on "Demographic Change" in Helsinki, Finland. "We have managed to double the amount of delegates in four years, partly due to interesting themes such as the one we are discussing at this Congress which concerns and involves all the liberal parties in Europe... MORE

See also: European Liberals congratulate new Dutch PM Mark Rutte. ELDR Press Release, October 14, 2010

YABLOKO and the European Liberal Family

LI Vice President urges China to release Noble Peace Prize winner

Liberal International News Bulletin. Issue 205. October 14, 2010

In response to the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Chinese democracy advocate Liu Xiaobo, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), LI full member has expressed its support for democratic activism in China. LI Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao (DPP) commented: “The Nobel award to Liu Xiaobo is an important recognition of the ongoing efforts of Chinese democracy activists, who have risked their lives and personal freedom, to fight for human rights and civil liberties in China (...) The international community must continue to support their efforts by demanding the immediate and unconditional release of Liu and other prisoners of conscience in China.” The Nobel Committee announced that Liu was awarded the prize due to his “long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China...” MORE

Elections protocols were simply changed by local Administration in Sergiyev Posad
Press Release and a video, October 13, 2010.

Sergei Kryzhov, leader of Sergiyev Posad YABLOKO, forwarded to the Public Prosecutor’s Office a video demonstrating that Chair of one of the electoral commissions was changing by hand the results of the voting in a corridor of local Administration at night after the election. Chair of Electoral Commission No 2661 (village Zhuchki, Sergiyev Posad Distrcit) at 4 o’clock in the morning is amending the results of the voting. The action takes place in the corridor of local Administration, where Territorial Electoral Commission is also located. Sergei Kryzhov filmed this on his camera.

The video demonstrates that the original protocol has a stamp and signatures by electoral commission members. Chair of the electoral commission is putting at random figures into a fraudulent protocol and fakes signatures of her colleagues. The video runs for two minutes and after this Nadezhda Krivosheya, Secretary of the Territorial Electoral Commission comes to her rescue. According to Kryzhov, while the Secretary was trying to find out what he was filming, the Chair of the electoral commission took this time to disappear...

YABLOKO in hydrochloric acid
Grigory Yavlinsky: "The political elite shrunk to a nano-size".

Interview with Grigory Yavlinsky by Yulia Kalinina, MK. October 8, 2010.

...MK: Can we assemble the collapsing systems with the help of modernisation?

Yavlinsky: If under modernisation we understand merely technological innovations, then we can not.

MK: What does modernisation mean for Russia?

Yavlinsky: Modernisation of Russia means changing the rules of social relations inside the state, set the same law for everyone, introduction of independent court, putting the government under public control, formation of the legislative authority with account to the opinion of a large part of the society, rather than some bureaucratic group. This is what modernisation is about...

Mitrokhin: we can cooperate with ex-Mayor of Moscow Yuri Luzkov only on some issues.

Press Release, October 12, 2010. Based on media interviews.

YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin agreed with the assessment which ex-Mayor of Moscow Yuri Luzkov has given to YABLOKO earlier in the day. In his interview to Interfax Luzhkov confirmed his desire to engage in politics and made a critical statement about “inner political work” in Russian political parties. “Democracy can not go together with authoritarian methods. “Today we have no [democratic] parties, maybe except for YABLOKO… YABLOKO is the [only] party where inner [party] work is performed in accordance with democratic principles.”

“We can only agree here. It is really so. And it is a correct assessment,” Mitrokhin said commenting Luzhkov’s statement to the RIA Novosti on October 12. YABLOKO’s leader also added that Yuri Luzhkov knew YABLOKO’s work very well, as we were in opposition in the Moscow City Duma for four years.

Mitrokhin ruled out Luzhkov’s membership in YABLOKO. YABLOKO’s leader expressed his readiness to cooperate with Luzhkov only on certain issues noting that YABLOKO and Luzhkov have been holding the opposite positions on political issues...

Violations at elections in the Chelyabinsk region. United Russia voters arrive by special coaches
Press Release, October 11, 2010.

...YABLOKO’s observers registered mass-scale voting by absentee ballots. Early in the morning on Sunday 405 people voted with absentee ballots at polling station No 2029, and 300 people at polling station No 2030. All these voters arrived to these polling stations by special coaches (eight and ten coaches respectively). The voters with absentee ballots at polling station No 2029 tuned out to be workers of the pipe plant and were dressed in workers uniform and went to the voting booths by two or three...

YABLOKO’s success at municipal elections in the Stavropol region
Press Release, October 11, 2010.

YABLOKO’s candidates Nikolai Kartzev, farmer and chair of the local YABLOKO branch in the Kursk district, and Alexander Noyev, school teacher, chair of the local party branch in Budyonnovsky district and member of the Council and Bureau of the regional branch of YABLOKO, won a clear-cut victory at municipal elections on October 10, 2010.

Chair of the Pskov YABLOKO: “Honest elections in dishonest environment took place in the Sebezhsky Distrcit of the Pskov region”
Press Release, October 11, 2010.

In this election YABLOKO obtained 20.6 per cent coming second after the ruling United Russia. Elections of the head of the district and deputies of the Deputies Assembly took place in the Sebezhsky Distrcit, Pskov region, on October 10. This is for the first time that elections in the district take place in accordance with the mixed system: 8 deputies out of 15 are elected on parties lists and 7 in single-mandate electoral districts.

According to the preliminary results of the voting published at the Central Electoral Commission web-site, YABLOKO obtained 20.6 per cent of the votes yielding only to the ruling United Russia (46.08 per cent). The Communist party (CPRF) obtained 17.25 per cent and LDPR – 10.59 per cent...

A rally in protection of an oak wood in Khimki, Moscow region
Press Release, October 10, 2010.

About 500 people gathered for a rally in protection of an oak wood in Khimki, Moscow region, on October 10. This time the authorities decided to cut the wood under construction of an elite housing complex with a quay for yachts in the water protection zone of the Moscow Canal. The action joined together local residents, activists of the Movement for Protection of Khimki Forest and YABLOKO’s activists. YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin.

After the rally two unidentified men saying that they are from the Police Department on Economic Crimes tried to detain Mitrokhin. However, they refused to show their credentials...

March in Support of St.Petersburg gathered about 3,000 participants
Press Release, October 11, 2010.

The fourth March in Support of St.Petersburg took place in St.Petersburg on October 9. According to the organizers, about 3,000 people came to this action which was conducted in a form of rally-concert. The action was initiated by Zhivoi Gorog (Living City) movement, Civil Initiatives Movement, St.Petersburg YABLOKO and members of St.Petersburg branch of the Society for Preservation of Historical and Cultural Heritage (VOOPIiK). Other participants of the action were St.Petersburg Youth YABLOKO, the Federation of Social Youth, United People’s Front, the Women Voters’ League, environmental human rights centre Bellona, EKOM, the Okhta Curve, Let Us Preserve Yuntolovo, For the Protection of the Vassiliyevsky Island, Bashne.Net, Solidarity, Defence, Russian People’s Democratic Union, St.Petersburg Human Rights Council, Association of Small and Medium Businesses, different initiative groups and many other. The key topic was the protest against building of the Okhta Centre which will spoil the historical environment of the city. The participants also called to preserve the historical centre of St.Petersburg and protect parks and gardens in the city. Many participants spoke about the need to return elections of St.Petersburg Governor and called the present Governor Valentina Matviyenko to resign...

YABLOKO participates in elections in ten Russian regions
Press Release, October 8, 2010.

Regional and local elections will take place in many Russian regions on a single election day – October 10.

YABLOKO nominated a list of candidates for elections to the legislative assembly of the Chelyabinsk region. YABLOKO’s candidate also runs for the legislative assembly of the Novosibirsk region. In nine more regions YABLOKO runs in municipal elections...

Investigation of the murder of Anna Politkovskaya should be boosted

Statement by YABLOKO's Chairman. October 7, 2010.

The Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO demands to boost investigation of the murder of journalist and human rights activist Anna Politkovskaya.

There is much chance to efficiently investigate this case.

The investigation produced some results, however, it has not moved any further for a long time.

We think that this happens first of all due to the lack of political will to complete the investigation, i.e. to find those who ordered the murder...

On the death of Acad.Georgy Arbatov

October 2, 2010.

A renowned academic, honorable director of the Institute of the USA and Canada of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Acad. Georgy Arbatov died yesterday at the age of 87.

Georgy Arkadiyvich Arbatov was a person who worshipped freedom both as a moral and a political category, without which neither man nor state could develop. Unlike many modern politicians, Georgy Arbatov realized the need and represented the new way of thinking. Georgy Arbatov displayed a true understanding of state policies in foreign policy and this made him a renowned figure of the late Soviet period which laid up the basis for the present transformations...

YABLOKO’s ecologist Olga Tzepilova to inspect nuclear facilities in the USA
Press Release, October 1, 2010.

Deputy Chair of YABLOKO’s Green Russia faction ecologist Olga Tzepilova will participate in the research tour on the invitation of the American Centre for Safe Energy on October 3-11, 2010. The goal of the tour is to examine nuclear facilities in the states of Vermont and Man...

Yavlinsky: “Medvedev conducts the same policies as Putin”
Kurier, Austria, September 28, 2010.

...Grigory Yavlinsky: ...The Russian economy resembles a drug addict: with a pipeline pushing gas into his left arm and an oil pipeline running to his right arm. This results in economic hallucinations.

KURIER: Will you compete in the presidential election?
Grigory Yavlinsky: We'll see. I tried it twice. In 1996 and 2000, however, these were not free elections. But these were nevertheless elections. It was like a football game. I had a gate that was 100 meters wide and a team of five players. Yeltsin had a gate one meter wide and a team of 15 players. Since 2004, there have been no playing field and arbitrators anymore. Only a scoreboard and the score: 100:1...

The original, Kurier (in German)

Russian President should find out Muscovites’ attitude to the new candidate on the post of the Mayor of Moscow
Press Release, October 1, 2010.

YABLOKO’s leader Sergei Mitrokhin said that Russian President should order a sociological survey before appointing a new Mayor of Moscow. The survey will show the attitude of the Muscovites to the candidates proposed by the progovernmental United Russia party. “The present practices of appointing regional heads demonstrated its complete failure. After the dismissal of Yuri Luzhkov the same party bearing full responsibility for Luzhkov’s policies proposes a new candidacy,” Mitrokhin noted. Sergei Mitrokhin called such situation “absurd”. YABLOKO’s leader proposed that the candidates nominated by the United Russia should answer the following questions by the Muscovites...

For the return of gubernatorial elections - New topic

EU warns France for action over Roma

Liberal International News Bulletin. Issue 203. October 1, 2010

Following the recent expulsions of Roma community members in France, the European Commission has announced the opening of an infringement procedure against France for not fully implementing the 2004 EU Directive on Free Movement into its national legislation within the stipulated period. Guy Verhofstadt, Leader of LI Full Member the ALDE Group who was first to react to the anti-Roma policy of France said: 'We welcome the Commission's decision to initiate action. We will be most vigilant that every step of this infringement procedure be taken if necessary...MORE

Public prosecutors recommend to 18 legislative assemblies to amend the situation with publishing draft laws
Press Release, September 30, 2010.

Audits conducted by public prosecutors in ten Russian regions confirmed violations of the federal law “On provision of access to information about the performance by the state bodies” and recommended to legislative assemblies of these regions to amend these violations. Violations of the law have already been amended in eight more regions after the same recommendations by public prosecutors. It should be noted that YABLOKO forwarded to Public Prosecutor General a list of 29 regions violating the federal law envisaging that state bodies should publish their draft laws in the Internet. YABLOKO is certain that publication of draft laws “is very important for public control over adopted laws”...

YABLOKO to demand free elections in St.Petersburg Legislative Assembly
The Baltic Information Agency, September 30, 2010.

Representatives of the YABLOKO party, if they are given a word in St.Petersburg Legislative Assembly, will not raise new topics but return to the old issues. Such a statement Chair of St.Petersburg branch of YABLOKO Maxim Reznik made to the BalInfo.“We shall raise the same topics our deputies Mikhail Amosov and Natalia Yevdokimova worded in the previous convocation of the Legislative Assembly, as these problems have only grown for the past years,” Reznik said. “Resignation of the Governor and return of free [gubernatorial] elections will be a blessing for the city. We have not got in the present convocation [of the Legislative Assembly] as we were not even allowed to participate in the elections, we were stopped at the collection of signatures stage. Such situation may return with the present Governor.”