Press Release, 23.10.2020

Lev Shlosberg, Chairman of the Pskov reiognal branch of Yabloko and deputy of the Pskov Regional Assembly, commented on the situation around the upcoming elections to the Pskov Regional Assembly and the State Duma of Russia to the Pskov branch of the Ekho Moskvy radio station.

In particular, Lev Shlosberg said that in the spring of 2021, the regional branch of the party, just like five years ago, would announce open primaries among party members for the top candidates of the list to the regional parliament: “This is our principled position: all Yabloko members in the Pskov region will vote. All interested party members who are ready to be nominated will be able to vote, submit their proposals and programmes, and thus a consensus decision will be made, which, most likely, will be approved by the conference of our regional branch, although any primaries are deliberative.

Five years ago, eight our candidates competed for being in the top three of the party candidates list. I think this time we will have no less candidates. Accordingly, both my position in the list at the elections to the Pskov Regional Assembly, and my plans will be closely related to what the regional organisation decides.

We use direct voting. It is, in fact, direct democracy. Not only delegates of the conference, but also all party members in the Pskov region (about 200 people) will express their opinion by secret ballot – ballots will be sealed in envelopes.”

It should be noted the primaries in the Pskov regional branch of Yabloko will be held for the third time in the history of the Pskov Yabloko. Previously, this format for determining the leaders of the team of Yabloko candidates was used in the previous elections to the Pskov Regional Assembly (2016) and the Pskov City Duma (2017).