Press Release, 8.09.2017

“All happening around our candidates is a political crime,” YABLOKO Chair Emilia Slabunova said at a party rally for fair elections in Yaroslavl. “Because it is committed for political reasons, against political opponents – a specific political party and specific political leaders.” Emilia Slabunova came to Yaroslavl to support party candidates in the municipality of this city.

YABLOKO and party candidates pose a serious threat to the authorities, as the authorities make so much effort to organise all sorts of obstacles for our candidates,” Slabunova said. “What is not dangerous does not cause so much activity around. This means that everything we do is right: we have the right content of the campaign, the right ideas, and the right people who stand for election,” she noted.

Photo: Emilia Slabunova and Oleg Vinogradov

Earlier the administrative resource prevented YABLOKO’s candidate Oleg Vinogradov to pass the municipal filter (collection of the signatures of a large number of municipal deputies in his favour) required for entering the gubernatorial election campaign in the Yaroslavl region. Vinogradov is also leader of the local branch of the party and former Deputy Governor. On 1 September, the police in Yaroslavl arrested 130,000 copies of the party’s campaign newspaper without any grounds.

“The arrest of our newspaper on 1 September, the day of Vladimir Putin’s visit to Yaroslavl, was an action of intimidation of the democratic forces of the city and the country in general, who have had the courage to criticise the authorities,” Oleg Vinogradov, the top candidate of the party list to the municipality, said at the rally. “As a democratic party, we stand for public control over the authorities. And certainly, the authorities do not like it. ”

Emilia Slabunova noted that “We understand that we have very strong candidates, that is why such a struggle is taking around them”. “This is a wonderful team, they are courageous and honest people, and Oleg Vinogradov is a political heavy-weight, initiator of important legislative initiatives,” she said.

One of the initiatives of the leader of the Yaroslavl branch of the party was the return of the direct mayoral elections to Yaroslavl.

The regional branch twice launched a petition for a referendum – a city referendum first and then a regional one. Both times YABLOKO’s initiative was turned down by the authorities.

“We applied to court, as these refusals are unlawful. We will force the authorities to appoint a referendum “, Vinogradov said.

There are many problems in the region the deputies of the municipality will have to address.

Emilia Slabunova noted that the situation in the region was far from being favourable. “The potential of the city, its history, its culture, and its residents is not used,” she stressed.

The budget of the city is scarce, the deficit exceeds 0.5 billion rubles, social spending in 2017 was less than in 2016. Only 31,000 roubles (less than Euro 400) is allotted in the budget per a resident, and it is impossible to solve even the most acute problems with such a budget. But the authorities attempt to close the deficit at the expense of people who become sponsors of inefficient managers, Emilia Slabunova pointed out.

Yaroslavl ranks 180th in the ranking of 300 Russian cities as of the quality of life. In June 2017, the average salary was 31,883 roubles, i.e. 41 per cent lower than the average salary in the Central Federal District, and 24 per cent lower than the average salary across the country, Slabunova noted. She also added that the task of the party and its candidates should be giving honest assessments to the situation and offer an alternative, the programme of action that would help to lead the country out of the crisis.

“There are 469,075 voters in Yaroslavl. I urge everyone to come to polling stations on 10 September and vote for YABLOKO candidates, because these candidates will protect your rights, your taxes and your property,” Emilia Slabunova said.

During her visit to Yaroslavl, Slabunova also met with party members, voters, and gave several interviews to local media.

YABLOKO’s list of candidates at the election of deputies of the Yaroslavl City Duma is represented by 20 candidates and is topped by Oleg Vinogradov, leader of the regional branch of the party and former Deputy Governor of the Yaroslavl region. 14 people are also registered in the majority districts.