Press release, 02.08.2016
The Gallery advertising company denied placing 27 YABLOKO’s billboards in six cities of the Altai Territory despite preliminary agreements. The company proposed to place 10 advertising boards in the cities of Barnaul and Biysk instead.

The representatives of the company explain their refusal by the fact that the local administration bought this advertising space for a social programme for the period from August 15 till September 10.

“A logical question arises in connection with the mysterious programme of the administration, which urgently needs the advertising space that was reserved by an electoral association,” Alexander Goncharenko, Chair of the Altai Territory branch of YABLOKO, addressed Dmitry Zaytsev, Gallery executive director.

Elena Tolstikh, the sales department manger, informed Goncharenko that, according to their new policy, the company would not place political advertisement. However, earlier Gallery stated that it was going to provide advertising space for the election campaign to the Altai Territory Legislative Assembly 2016.

Moreover, Tolstikh proposed that the Altai branch of YABLOKO should change their election slogan from “Let us pull Altai out of poverty!” to “Let us pull Altai out together!”.

Alexander Goncharenko demands that Dmitry Zaytsev must conduct an enquiry in connection with the violation of the electoral legislation and take response actions.

What is more, Chair of the Altai YABLOKO claims that a smear campaign is being carried against parliamentary candidate Vladimir Ryzhkov.

In late May there appeared a newspaper campaigning against him, in July a provocative website and fake accounts on social networks, spreading false information on behalf of the candidate, were created.

“Now it is becoming clear that the regional government not only shut their eyes to what is going on, ignoring the federal law, but break the law themselves by impeding positive competition in the elections,” Goncharenko said.

Alexander Goncharenko forwarded a letter to First Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration, Vyacheslav Volodin, demanding to end the discredit of YABLOKO’s candidate Vladimir Ryzhkov, investigate the prohibition to carry the campaign and hold open and fair elections in the Altai Territory.

An appeal to Vyacheslav Volodin http://www.yabloko.ru/files/webform/pismo_v_administraciyu_prezidenta_rf_2.pdf
An appeal to Dmitry Zaytsev

http://www.yabloko.ru/files/webform/pismo_v_kompaniyu_po_razmeshcheniyu_naruzhnoy_reklamy_0.pdf