Press Release, 21.10.2020

On 19 October, the Kalmykia branch of Yabloko organised a rally in Elista, the capital of the Republic. According to Batyr Boromangnayev, Chairman of the regional branch of the party, the aim of the rally was to openly express public opinion on the socio-economic and political situation in the Republic of Kalmykia.

The activists of the regional branch of the Yabloko party note that for the first time the rally was held in a newly created site for public gatherings – a place “specially designated or adapted for collective discussion of socially significant issues and expression of public sentiments”, a place located on the outskirts of the city, on a territory that is completely unsuitable for public events, but was nevertheless designated for this purpose by an April resolution of the government of the Republic of Kalmykia. Despite this, the Chairman of the Kalmykian branch of Yabloko was brought to administrative responsibility for holding an allegedly “unpermitted” rally.

The resolution of the rally demanded the following:

1. from the head of the Republic of Kalmykia, Batu Khasikov: to order in memory of the victims of the Covid-19 pandemic to lower flags on the government building for at least a week or a month.
2. from the deputies of the People’s Khural (parliament) of the Republic of Kalmykia and the Government of the Republic of Kalmykia: in the context of the continuation and exacerbation of the coronavirus pandemic, to introduce special additional payments or additional one-time payments to large and single-parent families.
3. from the head of the Republic of Kalmykia Batu Khasikov, deputies of the People’s Khural (parliament) of the Republic of Kalmykia and the government of the Republic of Kalmykia: to ensure the timeliness and completeness of the state-guaranteed monthly monetary payment of funds within the framework of social support measures for rehabilitated victims of [Stalin’s] political reprisals, especially since such persons belong to the older generation.
4. from the Head of the Republic of Kalmykia Batu Khasikov, Chairman of the People’s Khural (Parliament) of the Republic of Kalmykia Anatoly Kozachko and Chairman of the Government of the Republic of Kalmykia Yuri Zaitsev: to voluntarily resign already this year.
5. To add to the agenda of the next session of the People’s Khural (parliament) of the Republic of Kalmykia and put to a vote the issue of no confidence to the head of the Republic of Kalmykia Batu Khasikov.

In addition, on 20 October, Sanal Molotkov, a member of the Yabloko party, held a picket near the house of the Chairman of the Parliament of the Republic of Kalmykia Anatoly Kozachko, demanding his resignation from his post. Anatoly Kozachko has been Chairman of the People’s Khural (parliament) of the Republic of Kalmykia since August 2008. Prior to that, for many years he was Deputy Chairman and Chairman of the Government of Kalmykia.

The Kalmykian activists of Yabloko stress that a picket by the house of the head of parliament and a functionary of  the ruling United Russia party is a forced measure, since Anatoly Kozachko refuses to meet with the opponents of the current government of the Republic, even in response to official appeals. The picket ended with the detention of Sanal Molotkov by the police, but later Molotkov was released.

“Anatoly Kozachko shares personal responsibility for the difficult socio-economic situation that Kalmykia has been in for two decades. This year the Speaker turned 71. Under his leadership, the People’s Khural [parliament of the Republic of Kalmykia] approved many federal bills that worsened the situation and violated the rights and freedoms of citizens of the Republic and Russia in general,” the activists of the Kalmykian branch of Yabloko stressed.