Press Release, 30.08.2021

Photo: Nikolai Gromov / Photo by the Yabloko Press Service

Konstantin Aleksandrov, a candidate for deputies of the St. Petersburg Legislative Assembly from the New People party in constituency No. 11 (Vyborgsky District), tried to remove his opponent, Yabloko’s candidate Nikolai Gromov, from the elections. The attempt was unsuccessful. The judge dismissed the claim.

On 26 August, the St. Petersburg City Court registered an administrative claim by Konstantin Aleksandrov against territorial electoral commission No. 34  contesting the commission’s registration of Nikolai Gromov, a candidate from the Yabloko party, for the elections to the Legislative Assembly. Aleksandrov had complaints about Gromov’s documents submitted for registration. In his opinion, Gromov’s document on the approval of his candidacy by the Federal Political Committee of the Yabloko party was drawn up incorrectly, there was a typo in the decision of the Yabloko Congress and the certificate of income and property was incorrectly drawn up.

On 30 August, the city court refused to satisfy the claim of Konstantin Aleksandrov. During the court hearings it was established that the law did not have any definite requirements to the execution of internal documents of political parties, and a typo in the decision of the Yabloko congress and the “incorrect” execution of a certificate of income and property did not constitute the grounds for canceling the decision on registration.

The interests of Nikolai Gromov and the St. Petersburg Yabloko were represented in the city court by lawyer Alexander Kobrinsky.

This is not the first time that candidates from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation are trying to remove Yabloko from the elections through courts. In St. Petersburg, two similar claims from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation were filed on 7 August against two Yabloko candidates for the Legislative Assembly – Viktor Boldin and Arseny Afinogenov. The communists complained about the allegedly incorrectly drawn Yabloko internal documents that had been submitted for registration of Yabloko candidates. However, the law “On Elections to the St. Petersburg Legislative Assembly” does not establish requirements for the internal documents of political parties. The St. Petersburg City Court refused to remove Viktor Boldin from the elections. The lawsuit against Arseny Afinogenov was withdrawn the next day.