Press Release, 14.01.2022

Photo: Oleg Vinogradov / Photo by the Press Service of the Yabloko party

The Federal Bureau of Yabloko expelled from the party Oleg Vinogradov, former Chairman of the Yaroslavl regional branch of the party. The reason was his falsification of documents of the primary organisations of the branch, as well as imposture – as early as on 28 June, 2021, the Bureau of Yabloko terminated Vinogradov’s powers, but he continued to sign official documents and make statements for the media as Chairman of the Yaroslavl branch of Yabloko.

The Bureau adopted a statement in which it condemned the abolishing of elections based on party lists, which has unfolded in many cities and regions of Russia, including Yaroslavl.

“Now, at the initiative of the Mayor’s Office, they want to completely cancel party lists in the elections to the municipality of one of the most protest cities in Russia – Yaroslavl, where United Russia showed one of the worst results in the past elections to the State Duma (26%). Instead of dialogue with citizens, the authorities are fighting the protest with the help of administrative resources, pushing through a system according to which “the winner takes it all”,” the Bureau statement runs.

The Bureau emphasises that Yabloko is ready to interact with other political parties to fight against the political monopoly of the ruling United Russia party. Yabloko calls on all caring citizens and politicians of the Yaroslavl region to advocate for the preservation of party lists at public hearings on 20 January.