Echo Moskvi in St. Petersburg radio station, 13.06.2019

On 12 June, Grigory Yavlinsky, founder of Yabloko and Chairman of the Federal Political Committee of the party, spoke on the Echo Moskvi in St. Petersburg radio station about the party’s participation in the upcoming gubernatorial and municipal elections in St.Petersburg, as well as of the party’s vision of the future development of the city.

Grigory Yavlinsky commented on the cases of journalist Ivan Golunov and human rights defender Oyub Titiyev, as well as brutal dispersal of the May Day demonstration by the St. Petersburg authorities.

The key topic of the broadcast was the upcoming election of the Governor of the city due in September, where Boris Vishnevsky, Yabloko candidate and leader of the party faction leader in the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg, will take part.

According to Grigory Yavlinsky, St. Petersburg deserves a smart Governor who will protect the interests of the city residents.  “A beautiful city needs a smart Governor. I know of such a candidate, this is Boris Vishnevsky – he would be smart and good Governor for St. Petersburg. He is a person who knows the city, a person who is impeccably honest and intelligent. St.Petersburg needs such a Governor,” Grigory Yavlinsky noted.

“Just look through the programme of Boris Vishnevsky, its key items. He says: in five years there will be no communal shared flats, and he will do it, he knows how to do it; he says: there will be a normal public transport – this can be done; he says: medications will be affordable, there will be not only paid medicine which is extremely expensive [but also there will be good – that’s what the governor needs,” added the leader of Yabloko.

Grigory Yavlinsky also stressed that the Yabloko had a unique comprehensive programme for the development of the city “Greater St.Petersburg. The 21^st Century”, and Boris Vishnevsky took part in its development. If elected Governor, Boris Vishnevsky could proceed with implementation of this programme. The implementation of the programme could make St. Petersburg one of the leading world cities, as it combines economic, social, political and governing aspects.

Grigory Yavlinsky noted that interim Governor Alexander Beglov, who is the government’s candidate in the upcoming elections, had already demonstrated by dispersing the May Day peaceful demonstration in the centre of the city what future he was offering to St. Petersburg.

“The only politician out of those I know who went out with a poster “Freedom to Golunov” [anticorruption investigative journalist Ivan Golunov was planted drugs and arrested] is Vishnevsky. [If elected Governor] he will fight against planting drugs to people. And what will happen when acting Alexander Beglov [will be Governor] was shown during the 1^st of May demonstration. It is for you to choose,” Yavlinsky said.

The leader of Yabloko believes that Vishnevsky may be prevented from being registered in the election race, since there is the so-called municipal filter system [mandatory collection of signatures of municipal deputies most of whom come from the ruling United Russia party in favour of nomination], but the party and its candidate will make every effort to overcome it. Yavlinsky noted that the still the final word belongs to the city residents. “If a million people go into the streets, the municipal filter will be canceled and elections will be different, if not, this would mean that people agree with everything,” Yavlinsky emphasised.

Grigory Yavlinsky also told the audience about the Yabloko’s municipal elections campaign in St.Petersburg. Thousands of young people expressed their desire to run in the party list at elections.

“More than a thousand young people from Yabloko will become candidates for deputies in 103 municipalities out of 111. This is very important. There are many young people who want to start learning politics, who come into politics. This is largely the meaning of the activities of our political party,” Yabloko founder said.

Yavlinsky also noted that Yabloko was ready to create a common list of Democrats at elections. He said that doors are open for all who share Yabloko values and views, who are ready to sign the Memorandum of Political Alternative.

Commenting on the case of arrested journalist Ivan Golunov, Grigory Yavlinsky noted that if society had showed a similar civil protest over the arrest of human rights activist Oyub Titiyev in Chechnya, then Ivan Golunov’s case would not have happened. There would be no similar criminal cases if normal and fair elections appeared in the country, as well as an independent judicial system.

“The Golunov case is not a special case, it is necessary to fight so that to change the system. We need to get to the root of it – it is certainly important to fight for Golunov, but it is even more important to fight for changes in the country, ” Yavlinsky said.