Moscow authorities interfere with YABLOKO’s campaigning in
public transport.
Moscow Department of Transport and Communication urged the
owners of private taxies carrying YABLOKO’s slogans “Protecting
Muscovites, Helping Everyone” to dismantle them threatening
that taxi owners will have “problems in business”. About 130
taxis with YABLOKO’s slogans have been commuting in the city
since September 11, after the taxi owners signed corresponding
agreements with YABLOKO.
Also YABLOKO did not manage to conclude and agreement on
placing its slogans on the municipal transport (buses, trolley-buses
and trams). Mosgortrans (the Moscow City Transport company)
which owns the transport means in the city indicated that
the Moscow Property Department should give a permit for placing
slogans on the municipal transport means. The latter, however,
send YABLOKO a bureaucratic note recommending to “work out
the issue” with Mosgortrans and also apply to the Interdepartamental
Commission for Advertising of the Moscow Government.
YABLOKO had already faced resistance of the Moscow authorities
when collecting signatures for registration in the election
campaign. The police interfered with collection of signatures
arresting activists under a pretext of unsanctioned picketing.
After YABLOKO’s registration in the campaign, on September
14, three YABLOKO’s candidates were detained by the police
during their meeting with electorate by the Aviamotornaya
metro station. YABLOKO’s candidates had to spend about an
hour and a half in the police, then the police released them
without filing any protocols on their arrest as required by
law.
Sergei Mitrokhin, the leader of YABLOKO and its list of candidates,
says that the authorities have been attacking YABLOKO as they
are afraid of YABLOKO’s deputies in the Moscow City Duma.
“They are making everything they can so that to deprive as
of any means of campaigning,” Mitrokhin notes.
See also:
Moscow City
Duma Elections, 2009
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