On December 19-20, the Congress of the YABLOKO party will take place. 164 delegates will elect the new party leaders: a Chairperson, members of the Bureau, Political Committee, Internal Audit Commission and Arbitration Committee.

The Political Committee will propose an amendment to the Charter of the party limiting the period of chairmanship by two terms (maximum eight years). If the amandment is adopted, neither the present leader Sergei Mitrokhin, nor YABLOKO founder Grigory Yavlinsky will have the possibility to run.

Sergei Mitrokhin disapproves of the proposed amendment and is determined to run for the post of party Chairman.

Personal pages for all the candidates have been created at the party website: those recommended by the Political Committee and nominated by the regional conferences. At the moment there are eight candidates but during the Congress any delegate can nominate his/her candidate.

The candidates are:

Alexander Gnezdilov, YABLOKO Bureau member, Moscow
Sergei Mitrokhin, Chairman-in-Office, Member of YABLOKO Political Committee, Moscow
Sergei Ivanenko, Member of YABLOKO Political Committee, Moscow
Nikolai Rybakov, YABLOKO Bureau member, St.Petersburg
Emilia Slabunova, Member of YABLOKO Political Committee, the Republic of Karelia
Alexander Shishlov, Human Rights Ombudsman in St.Petersburg
Les Shlosberg, YABLOKO Bureau member, the Pskov region
Grigory Yavlinsky, YABLOKO founder, deputy of St.Petersburg Legislative Assembly