Press Release, 12.05.2020

The Ryazan branch of the Yabloko asked Yelena Sorokina, head of the Ryazan administration, to publicly explain how the money allocated before the COVID-19 epidemic for recreation of children during summer holidays would be spent, as children’s summer activities were banned due to the pandemic. A separate issue was what happened to the already held auctions that had determined the contractors.

“The administration of the city of Ryazan has placed on the public procurement portal 17 auctions for organisation of children’s summer vacations for a total of 41,611 million roubles. Moreover, it is clear that in connection with the coronavirus pandemic, children’s camps, will not work at least in June and July. It is even unlikely that they will begin functioning in August,” Konstantin Smirnov, Chairman of the Ryazan branch of Yabloko, said.

Activists of the regional branch of Yabloko say that all the released funds should be allocated first of all to direct assistance to citizens who find themselves in the most difficult situation due to unemployment and other problems caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

It should be noted that Yabloko forwarded to the President, government and parliament a package of its proposals with urgent measures to support people, workers and private businesses in the context of the coronavirus pandemic. The party also calls on the President and government to expand the list of supported NGOs.

In addition, the party Chairman Nikolai Rybakov sent letters to the Governors of more than 20 Russian regions urging them to redirect funds allocated for campaigning for amendments to the Constitution to fight against coronavirus.