Press Release, 26.05.2020

The Tatarstan branch of the Yabloko party organised a protest action calling to turn down Vladimir Putin’s amendments to the Russian Constitution. Ruslan Zinatullin, Chairman of the Tatarstan branch of the party, held a one-person picket [which does not require any permissions from the authorities). He is certain that since the government “deceived medical workers with additional payments promised by Putin, it will deceive citizens with amendments to the Constitution.”

“From all corners of our immense homeland, we hear stories that “Putin’s” additional payments to doctors [working with COVID-19 patients] are simply not paid to medical workers. As early as April 8, Vladimir Putin announced that payments to medical workers working with patients with coronavirus infection were being introduced. For three months, starting in April. April has ended, May is already approaching its end, and there have been no payments, or they were ridiculously low, as in the Kaluga region, where they paid doctors 27 rubles 93 kopecks (about 35 Euro cents),” Zinatullin said.

Zinatullin also noted the lack of measures to support entrepreneurs. And also recollected the government’s pension reform which was reduced to increase of the pension age and virtually robbed the would-be pensioners of a significant part of payments.

“They promised one thing, but in reality it turned out completely different. Let me remind you that Vladimir Putin said that while he was President, the retirement age would not be increased. And what do we see? And this is not the only example. The same can be done with Putin’s constitutional amendments plan. They promise changes for the sake of improving the living standards, but in reality we will receive the eternal Tzar Vladimir and complete isolation. There is no trust in Vladimir Putin and his plans,” the leader of the Tatarstan Yabloko added.

One-person pickets were held by the Tatar State Academic Theatre,  by the Kazan Kremlin and the Kazan Central Station.

It should be noted On March 12, Yabloko held an all-Russian action against Putin’s usurpation of power. In over 50 regions, party activists picketed their legislative assemblies, which were considering Vladimir Putin’s amendments to the Constitution.

Yabloko’s regional MPs introduced to six legislative assemblies a new chapter of the Constitution on the electoral system, political parties and the rights of the opposition, as well as a package of amendments to the Constitution devoted to improving guarantees of human and civil rights and freedoms.

Yabloko proposes reducing the presidential term to four years, limiting the powers of the head of state to the list provided for by the Constitution, introducing the election of members of the Federation Council, empowering the Federation Council to nominate Public Prosecutor General, and giving the State Duma the right to nominate Prime Minister, allow deputies make a vote of no confidence in individual ministers, expand the composition of the Constitutional Court, return the Supreme Arbitration Court, introduce the election of court chairpersons by the judges, expand the right to a jury trial and introduce the election of justices of the peace.

In addition, the party prepared amendments to ban private military organisations in Russia, transfer to the contract principle of formation of the army, expand the rights of the Federal Assembly to formulation of the country’s foreign policy, and recognise torture as a grave crime.