Yabloko’s candidates continue the struggle for the right to participate in the gubernatorial elections

Press release, 29.06.2017

This week the Vedomosti newspaper reported referring to its sources in the Kremlin that the new leadership of the internal policy bloc of the Presidential Administration decided not to adhere to the principle of competition in the gubernatorial elections, which will take place in 16 regions of Russia in the autumn. The opponents of the current governors are already facing difficulties collecting signatures of local deputies [candidates need to collect a certain number of signatures of municipal deputies in order to pass the so called municipal filter and be registered as candidates]. Yabloko’s candidate in the Sverdlovsk, Novgorod and Yaroslavl Regions are facing difficulties as well. Yabloko has more than once claimed the necessity to remove the municipal filter, which prevents opposition candidates from running in the race.

The Sverdlovsk Region

Yekaterinburg Mayor Yevgeny Royzman who was nominated candidate for governor of the region by Yabloko Bureau is running the risk not to be registered due to the difficulties with signature collection because municipal deputies are being under pressure.

“It is difficult but I will do my best. If I manage to go through the municipal filter, I will win,” Royzman wrote on his Facebook page.

The Novgorod Region

The pressure is also being put on municipal deputies in the Novgorod Region, where the regional authorities gave municipal deputies the orders to put signatures only in support of the candidates from the parliamentary parties and the Patriots of Russia [spoiler] party. Thus, Yabloko’s candidate Anna Cherepanova only managed to collects Yabloko’s municipal deputies signatures.

The Novgorod Region has set the highest threshold for the registration of gubernatorial candidates – the signatures of 10 per cent of deputies. It means that Anna Cherepanova has to collect 131 signatures of municipal deputies of the Novgorod Region.

The Yaroslavl Region

Yabloko’s gubernatorial candidate Oleg Vinogradov in the Yaroslavl Region is facing the same problems. He claims that the regional authorities are using the administrative resource to prevent him from participation in the election.

Yabloko claimed the necessity to abolish or mitigate the municipal filter more than once. As a compromise, Yabloko proposes to remove the municipal filter for candidates, who are nominated by the parties with the representation in the State Duma or regional parliaments. Yabloko Chair Emilia Slabunova and Federal Political Committee member Lev Shlosberg introduced the bill with the proposal to the Legislative Assemblies of the Republic of Karelia and the Pskov Region. However, the initiative was voted down.

Chair of Yabloko Political Committee Grigory Yavlinky says that the party will insist on the removal of the municipal filter even if Yabloko’s candidates go through it.