Press Release, 03.07.2017

Collection of signatures for Russia’s withdrawal from the war in Syria was launched in Chelyabinsk within the framework of the Time to Return Home campaign targeted at allotting federal budget funds to Russia’s domestic development , not to foreign policy ambitions and adventures. Time to Return Home is a part of Grigory Yavlinsky presidential election campaign.

YABLOKO activists will be collecting signatures in support of the Time to Return Home campaign for a month starting from this date. Each putting his signature will receive a leaflet showing how the Chelyabinsk region could have disposed of the 99.5 billion roubles spent on Russia’s military operation in Syria.

The budget of Chelyabinsk amounts to 27.3 billion rubles; the budget deficit is 123.3 million roubles; the municipal debt totals 4 billion roubles. According to YABLOKO experts, the funds spent on the military operation in Syria would suffice for the city for 43 months.

These funds could have been allotted to building a new hospital and two multifunctional outpatient clinics for 6.29 billion roubles; renewing the public transport fleet by purchasing 110 low-floor buses operating on natural gas for 1.2 billion; capital repairs of 5,763 residential housing in Chelyabinsk for 22.87 billion; provision of free meals for all Chelyabinsk schoolchildren for 1.95 billion a year; abolishing the fee for kindergartens for 1.81 billion a year; building four garbage-processing plants solving the problem of recycling household waste for 13 billion; creation of 20 modern recreational park areas for 2 billion; building 18 new schools, solving the problem of second shifts in schools for 12.6 billion; raising the salaries of teachers, doctors, educators and nurses by 30 per cent for 3.8 billion a year.

According to Emilia Slabunova, Chair of the YABLOKO party, every city needs good new schools and kindergartens, hospitals and outpatient clinics, quality housing and roads, but the authorities say there is no money for it. “We know that there is money! The funds needed for the country’s development now go to off-shores and residence palaces, exemption of oligarchs who are under sanctions from taxes, and writing-off debts to other countries. They go to war in Syria, which took dozens of lives of our soldiers and officers. The money that Russia needs so much, is going to preserve the dictator’s power in a foreign and distant country,” Emilia Slabunova said.

Grigory Yavlinsky in his video address to his supporters said that it was necessary to “make peace and development the essence and the focus of the state policies”. This is the essence of my political activity so that to offer people a definite alternative to the present policies that would be close to them and their families and important for millions of Russian citizens. And I will fight for success, for the implementation of this alternative – for the victory and for our country! – to the end, not surrendering or retreating,” Yavlinsky stressed.

The collection of signatures is also opened on the party’s website.

The YABLOKO party intends to nominate Grigory Yavlinsky in the presidential elections, which will be held in March 2018. Before that, Grigory Yavlinsky participated in presidential campaigns twice. In 1996, he came the fourth, and in 2000 he was the third. Yavlinsky was removed from the presidential election in 2012 for political reasons.

At present Grigory Yavlinsky holds the post of Chairman of the Federal Political Committee of the YABLOKO party; he is Doctor of Economics, Professor of the National Research University The Higher School of Economics.