Press Release, 10.12.2023

Photo: Nikolai Rybakov / Photo by the Yabloko Press Service

According to the results of the secret ballot of the congress delegates, 59 delegates (55%) voted in favour of Nikolai Rybakov. Alexander Yefimov came second with 26 votes in favour. Anna Cherepanova and Maxim Kruglov received 12 and 10 votes, respectively.

Nikolai Rybakov addressed fellow party members as follows:

“Thank you very much for your trusting me to lead our party. Thank you very much for trusting me to walk this difficult path together with you. I believe that we will all go through it together, because we know why we are doing this. I want to thank Anna Cherepanova, Maxim Kruglov and Alexander Yefimov for participating in the elections. What I can definitely guarantee you, dear colleagues, is that each of you will have the opportunity to implement almost all points of your programme. Try to implement them. I heard the criticism that was also in the speeches of the delegates and the speeches of my colleagues in the elections. And I will try to take into account and correct a lot of this, but together with you. Thank you!”

The website of the Yabloko party published the election programme by Nikolai Rybakov “PEACE. PROGRESS. HUMAN RIGHTS”.

It should be noted that according to the new version of the party By-Laws, this year all Yabloko members took part in the nomination of candidates for the post of the Yabloko Chair. Based on the results of the primaries, the following candidates competed for the post of the Yabloko Chair: Nikolai Rybakov, current Yabloko Chairman (since 2019); Maxim Kruglov, head of the Yabloko faction in the Moscow City Duma; Anna Cherepanova, deputy of the City Duma of Veliky Novgorod and Chair of the Novgorod regional branch of the party; and Alexander Yefimov, member of the Federal Bureau of the party, the Volgograd regional branch.

Candidates for post of Yabloko Chairperson presented to the congress the programmes for the party  development.

Photo: Alexander Yefimov / Photo by the Yabloko Press Service

Member of the Federal Bureau (from the Volgograd Region) Alexander Yefimov said that Yabloko should offer solidarity to the Russians, the country and the world, and find allies who share Yabloko views in Europe and the world. “Yabloko must act, knock on all doors, convey our position to the people of the whole world – we must demand a ceasefire. We suggest thinking about the future,” Yefimov said.

Yefimov also proposed that the party should make its contribution to resolving humanitarian issues, such as the situation with prisoners of war. The party’s participation in this will prove that Yabloko is an effective political force capable of offering a path to peace. Alexander Yefimov’s programme was published on the Yabloko website.

Photo: Maxim Kruglov / Photo by the Yabloko Press Service

Speaking to the congress delegates, candidate for the post of Yabloko Chairman and Chair of the Yabloko faction in the Moscow City Duma, Maxim Kruglov, noted that the party had lived in extraordinary conditions for the past 18 months.

Among the proposed changes, Maxim Kruglov highlighted the politicisation of daily party work: it is necessary to publicly respond to the information agenda from the point of view of the party values, principles and positions. It is also necessary to focus on issues of a humanitarian nature and the development of human capital. Speaking about the internal party work, Kruglov proposed strengthening work with members and supporters of the party: developing the practices of interregional seminars, intra-party meetings and free discussions within the party.

Maxim Kruglov’s programme is available here.

Anna Cherepanova, candidate for the post of Yabloko Chair, deputy of the City Duma of Veliky Novgorod and Chair of the Novgorod regional branch of Yabloko, believes that the leader of the party advocating the European way of development should be a woman. Cherepanova named the third Chair of Yabloko, Emilia Slabunova, as her political reference model. Speaking about the proposed changes in the work of the party, Cherepanova focused on the composition of the party and the principles of work of regional branches. According to Cherepanova, it is necessary to constantly search for potential leaders in the regions of Russia and attract them to the party. Yabloko needs an interregional platform for interaction between party members, candidates and supporters in order to exchange experiences, conduct joint actions and brainstorming.

Photo: Anna Cherepanova /  Photo by the Yabloko Press Service

The target audience of the party, according to Anna Cherepanova, is women, young people under 35, the educated (intellectual) class.

Anna Cherepanova’s programme is also posted on the party’s website.