Is
Modernisation in Russia Possible? Interview
with Grigory Yavlinsky and Boris Titov by Yury Pronko,
"The Real Time" programme, Radio Finam, May
12, 2010
The Regional Council of the Sverdlovsk branch of Yabloko nominated a list of candidates of a united democratic coalition to run in the elections to the Yekaterinburg city parliament (City Duma). The list contains 57 candidates, this is the maximum possible number of people in the list. The meeting of the Regional Council was attended by Ilya Zakharov, head of the city electoral commission. According to Maxim Petlin, member of the Bureau of Yabloko, there should not be any problems with registration of the list of candidates.
The rise in fuel prices after the end of Vladimir Putin’s presidential campaign is a natural result of his governing. In most regions of the Russian Federation, prices for various types of fuel rose by 10 – 15 per cent, and in some regions by 20 per cent or more.
Such a rise in fuel prices will hit not only drivers, but also all consumers, since most goods are transported by trucks and cars. Expenses for transportation will grow, so prices will also rise.
The World Cup in Russia began with a defeat: 5:0! The authorities scored five unanswered goals to the people.
Grigory Yavlinsky’s web-site, 16.06.2018
Even before the starting whistle, the account was opened by Russia’s Investigation Committee with a final arrest of long-resisting leader of the Serpukhov district [of the Moscow region] Alexander Shestun. At the first minute of the match, thanks to the passing move of the government Dmitry Medvedev raised his retirement age. And virtually in the next attack, Dmitry Medvedev made a brace and raised the VAT. In the second half, the Supreme Court of Karelia from a penalty brought the score to the devastating blow cancelling the acquittal to human rights defender Yury Dmitriyev – 4:0. The point in the opening match was delivered the next day by Putin’s Press Secretary: Dmitry Peskov struck the people with a blow from the penalty spot, explaining that Putin’s promises not to raise the retirement age until he is president meant nothing because “it was a long time ago”.
Yabloko demands to return state accreditation to the Moscow Higher School of Social and Economic Sciences
Statement by Yabloko’s Bureau
Press Release, 25.06.2018
On 20 June, Federal Education and Science Supervision Agency (Rosoboradzor) denied the Moscow Higher School of Social and Economic Sciences [which is considered to be the best private university in Russia] of state accreditation. Now graduates of the university will not be able to receive state-recognised diplomas, which testify that the graduate has the qualifications corresponding to state standards.
The Federal Bureau of the Yabloko party adopted a statement on the government’s initiative to raise the retirement age. The statement runs that President Putin is really responsible for the consequences of the reform. As an alternative, Yabloko proposes to implement the proposals outlined in the presidential programme of Grigory Yavlinsky, in particular, to replenish the Pension Fund through contributions of corporations with state participation engaged in the extraction and sale of natural resources. The statement runs that under the present situation Yabloko supports the protest actions against the government’s reform, and recommends its regional and local branches to organise such actions and support independent trade unions. Yabloko became the first political party that held street actions against raising the retirement age, despite the current ban on pickets and rallies.
As an alternative to the Putin-Medvedev’s pension reform, Yabloko proposes to transfer dividends of state corporations to the pension fund. And Alexei Yetmanov, founder of the most successful independent trade union of Russia and member of the Yabloko party voiced another civilised recipe:
Experts believe that an increase in VAT from 18 to 20 per cent will entail a price increase not in 2019, but already in the Fall of 2018. The burden on the construction sector, automotive industry and machine building will increase most – by 5 – 7 per cent. This means that apartments and cars will rise in price especially.
Here goes the forecast by Sergei Ivanenko, economist and Deputy Chairman of Yabloko:
Grigory Yavlinsky on the government’s plans to raise the retirement age.
Grigory Yavlinsky’s web-site, 21.06.2018
Why did the government decide to raise the retirement age so rudely and so radically? Are they so brave that they are ready to go against the whole people? Look, already more than two million Russians have signed a petition against raising the retirement age. Why do you think all this was done?
Correct! So that Putin would cancel everything! Well, at least would pretend to cancel: soften, brake, blurt it out… The government has been struggling hard to prepare a circus act for the head of state – the abolition of the anti-popular reform (well, maybe substituting it for meaningless mitigations and adjustments). The president is such that at the most crucial moment – when all are already to go to rallies and referendums – he will take this wretched pension reform and cancel it. Not only that the guilty will be taken to task, but even pensions will be increased by one hundred roubles [approximately by Euro 1.4). And here you can see a strong president. A defender. And he has kept his word. Well, maybe pretended to keep it. Then his rating will indeed rise to 120 – 140 per cent. And Russians will want so that he stayed not just for the next term, but forever, to the end of time.
The authorities turned down Yabloko’s applications for rallies against raising the retirement age in Moscow, Yekaterinburg and Omsk and proposed the party to hold rallies on the outskirts of the cities.
The Yabloko party planned to hold a rally in Moscow on 3 July in the city centre. However, the Moscow government refused to give such a permission referring to the decree of the Russian President which prohibits holding mass actions during the World Cup. Yabloko considers this decree to be unconstitutional. The Moscow branch of Yabloko holds pickets against raising the retirement age. Chair of the Moscow Yabloko Sergei Mitrokhin was detained at the last action.
Yabloko demands that the measure of restraint to Alexander Shestun, head of the Serpukhov district of the Moscow region, is replaced by his written undertaking not to leave the country. Such a statement was issued by the Bureau of the party. Yesterday, the court arrested the politician for two months for his alleged abuse of office.
Today, on 22 June, Nikolai Dizhur, candidate for the Governor of the Moscow region from the Yabloko party, submitted documents to the regional electoral commission for registration in the race.
Now he can start collection of signatures for registration in the election campaign. Until 5 July, Nikolai Dizhur must collect 98 signatures of deputies and heads of settlements and another 98 signatures of deputies and heads of municipal districts and city districts.
Sergei Mitrokhin detained and taken to the police station
Press Release, 19.06.2018
On 19 June, the Yabloko party launched protest actions against a pension reform proposed by the government and envisaging raising of the retirement age. Members of the Moscow branch of Yabloko conducted a series of single-person pickets (which do not require any permission for the authorities), alternately holding a poster running “The “pension reform” is a robbery of the people!” The action was held at the entrance to the State Duma building in the morning.
However, the action lasted only 15 minutes. Police officers arrested Sergei Mitorkhin, leader of the Moscow Yabloko. The police referred to the order of Vladimir Putin, which prohibits any protest actions, including single-person pickets, during the World Cup. Sergei Mitrokhin was taken to the Tverskoye police station.
Radio Liberty, 19.06.2018
MOSCOW — The head of the Russian opposition party Yabloko’s branch in Moscow, Sergei Mitrokhin, has been detained while protesting the government’s plan to increase the pension age.
An RFE/RL correspondent saw police detain Mitrokhin as he protested alone in front of the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, on June 19.Read more »
The action against arbitrariness and reprisals was held on Academician Sakharov Prospect in Moscow
Press Release, 10.06.2018
Today, Yabloko leaders and representatives of the party took part in the rally “For Free Russia Without Arbitrariness and Reprisals”, which took place on Academician Sakharov Prospekt. The party was among the organisers of the action against mass violations of the rights and freedoms of citizens.
Growth of the number of political prisoners, blockings in the Internet, tyranny and torture in law enforcement, repression against political opponents of the regime, dismissals from job for likes and reposts in the social networks have become the hallmark of Putin’s government, Emilia Slabunova, Chair of the Yabloko party, said in her speech at the rally.
I think that this was a beautiful televised call-in show of the President. It perfectly allows us to see with naked eye the incompetence of our authorities and the inefficiency of the management system. Because when the President deals with certificates and waste dumps, he is approached with a request to “break through the walls” in the Stavropol Territory, we realise that the whole system that has developed and the institutions do not function. The personnel policy [of the President] also shows its inefficiency: the appointed governors who did not won in tough competition in reality, and were exclusively only in the bureaucratic corridors, are not able to solve even the most elementary problems.
Her blood is on Kirsan Ilyumzhinov’s hands [Kirsan Ilyumzhinov is ex President of the Republic of Kalykia in Russia and now President of the International Chess Federation].
20 years ago, Larissa Yudina, Editor-in-Chief of [oppositional newspaper] Soviet Kalmykia [and of the Kalmykian branch of Yabloko] was brutally murdered. Her murderer Vaskin was part-time assistant to President Ilyumzhinov ON LEGAL ISSUES (!).
Vaskin served his imprisonment term and was released, but the person who ordered the murder, as it has ALWAYS been in the modern history of Russia, has “not been found”.
On 10 June, on the eve of the Day of Russia, a rally against mass-scale violations of human rights and freedoms will take part in Moscow, in Academician Sakharov Prospekt. The Yabloko party is the co-organiser of the action. Emilia Slabunova, Yabloko Chair, will speak at the rally.
Photo: “I protest peacefully, but with all my force”.
Here goes the address of the organisers to the participants of the action:
On 6 June, Vitaly Arshinov nominated by the Pskov branch of Yabloko, submitted documents to the Pskov Region Electoral Commission so that to run in the forthcoming gubernatorial elections.
Photo: from left to right Lev Shlosberg and Vitaly Arshinov.
From this moment, Yabloko begins collection of signatures of the heads and deputies of local self-governments in support the nomination of the candidate.
To get its candidate registered as a candidate for the post of governor, Yabloko must collect and submit to the Electoral Commission of the region (by 7 of July) notarially certified signatures of at least 111 heads and deputies of local self-government bodies, including at least 45 signatures of heads of districts, deputies of city parliaments and district assemblies, no less than from 20 municipalities of the Pskov region of the second level (there are 26 municipalities in the region in total). The maximum number of signatures is 116.
I, Emilia Slabunova, Chair of the Yabloko party, and the Yabloko party as a whole believe that the case of Ukrainian film director Oleg Sentsov is a shameful page of modern Russian history. The fact that a person was sentenced for 20 years of imprisonment for his political convictions is the full and absolute responsibility of the Russian authorities and personally President Putin.
Oleg Sentsov should be released without delay – this will be not only an act of humanism, but also a manifestation of political will, not in words, but in deed, towards peace between Russia and Ukraine.
Towards the world that both our nations are waiting for.
