Press Release, 11.12.2021

Photo: Dmitry Permyakov / Photo by the Press Service of the Pskov branch of Yabloko

Dmitry Permyakov, a deputy of the Pskov City Duma from Yabloko, resigned as a deputy of the city parliament in connection with the beginning of his studies outside Russia.

“To be even more helpful, I need to learn more. Therefore, I decided to study and will learn new things in another country. This is not a loud emigration or escape from the ship (with a mad captain). It is wrong and impossible to just be a deputy, even more scholarly than before, but from a distance,” Dmitry Permyakov wrote on social networks.

After receiving a notification from the territorial electoral commission of Pskov, the Bureau of the Regional Council of the Pskov Yabloko will determine who will receive the mandate and continue to represent the interests of Yabloko voters in the Pskov city parliament.

It should be noted that Dmitry Permyakov became a deputy of the Pskov City Duma in 2019. His candidacy was approved by the Bureau of the Regional Council of the party after the victory of Artur Gaiduk, who previously served as a city deputy, at the early elections of a deputy of the Pskov Regional Assembly for constituency No. 2.

For two years in the city parliament, Dmitry Permyakov fought against the senseless liquidation of pedestrian crossings, uncontrolled felling of trees, dealt with the problem of water pipes clogged with oxides in the houses of Pskov residents, suggested that deputies expenditure on PR amounting to millions roubles should be abolished in favour of the interests of city residents, made proposals to change the rules of landscaping and gardening in Pskov and worked a lot with voters’ appeals on a variety of issues.

On 28 December, 2020, the Russian Ministry of Justice recognised journalist Lyudmila Savitskaya, Dmitry Permyakov’s wife, as a “foreign agent” for her professional activities. Dmitry Permyakov became the first registered candidate in Russia affiliated with a “foreign agent” at the elections of deputies of the Pskov Regional Assembly in 2021.

Commenting on the decision of Dmitry Permyakov, Lev Shlosberg, Chairman of the Pskov branch of Yabloko, said: “Dmitry will undergo full-time training outside of Russia. This study will allow him to become a more qualified politician, gain new modern knowledge.

Dmitry coordinated his decision with the leaders of the regional branch of the party and it was not sudden for us.

In this case, there is no legal obligation to step down as a deputy, but Dmitry made a responsible decision that, not being able to constantly be in Pskov, he would not be able to fully work with voters, as well as attend meetings of committees and sessions in the Pskov City Duma in person.

Dmitry remains a member of the Pskov Yabloko team, Deputy Chairman of the regional branch of the Yabloko party, a member of the Bureau of the Regional Council, and a staff member in the office of the regional branch. He continues to carry out all the political, administrative and organisational work that can be done remotely.”