Press Release, 14.03.2016

Present Russia’s Human Rights Ombudsperson Ella Pamfilova will chair the Central Election Commission and will retire from the post of Ombudsperson which she held since 2014. The issue who will succeed Panfilova in this post has not been resolved yet, but YABLOKO representatives are often mentioned among possible contenders.

Head of the Moscow Helsinki Group Lyudmila Alekseyeva, leader of the “For Human Rights” movement Lev Ponomarev and other well-known human rights activists would like to see Vladimir Lukin, one of YABLOKO founders as new Ombudsman. Also regional Ombudsmen (from the Perm Territory and the Maritime Territory, the Sakhalin Region and St. Petersburg) spoke in favour of Lukin’s candidacy.

Alexander Shishlov, St.Petersburg Ombudsman, who last year suspended his membership of the YABLOKO party, as required by law, was also named among possible contenders for the post. Shishlov’s candidacy was proposed by Yuri Berezutsky, Ombudsman of Khabarovsk Territory.

YABLOKO leaders – Emilia Slabunova, the party Chairperson and Grigory Yavlinsky, Chairman of YABLOKO’s Federal Political Committee – also said that Alexander Shishlov deserved to become Russia’s Ombudsman.

Emilia Slabunova said that other possible candidates could be ex-Mayor of Petrozavodsk Galina Shirshina and co-Chair of the YABLOKO’s Human Rights Faction Valery Barshchov. Grigory Yavlinsky also supported the candidacy of Valery Barshchov. Yavlinsky also added that Andrei Babushkin, member of the Presidential Council for Human Rights, member of the YABLOKO Bureau, and Alexander Goncharenko, leader of the Altai regional branch of YABLOKO and Chairman of the regional Public Oversight Commission, could be perfect candidacies for the post too.

There are many YABLOKO members among former and present Ombudsmen on human rights. The first Russian Ombudsman (from 1994 to 1995) was Sergey Kovalev, he is now member of YABLOKO’s Federal Political Committee. The third Ombudsman was Vladimir Lukin, he held the post for two consecutive terms – from 2004 to 2014. According to the law, Ombudsman can not be appointed for a third term.

Evgeny Bunimovich, member of YABLOKO’s Federal Political Committee, has been Commissioner for Children’s Rights in Moscow since 2009. Alexander Shishlov has been holding the post of Ombudsman in St.Petersburg since 2012. YABLOKO’s Irina Skupova was Commissioner for Human Rights in the Samara Region from 2005 to 2014.

Commissioner for Human Rights is elected by the State Duma. A candidate must gain a constitutional majority – 300 votes – so that to get elected. Candidacies for the post of Ombudsperson are offered by State Duma deputies, State Duma factions, the Federation Council and the President. The President introduced candidates for the State Duma in 2004, 2009 and 2013.

The Ombudsman must be appointed before 28 March, as the first meeting of the new Central Electoral Commission in scheduled on this day. This was reported by the Kommersant paper with reference to Vladimir Pligin, head of the Duma Committee on Constitutional Legislation. After that the State Duma will have two more months for approval of the new Ombudsman.