Press release, 28.02.2016
Today independent politicians Vladimir Ryzhkov (former co-Chair of RPR-PARNAS) and Dmitry Gudkov (the only independent State Duma deputy) have supported Grigory Yavlinsky’s candidacy for the presidential elections of 2018. They made such statements at the YABLOKO Congress.
“The opposition must have not only a single candidates list at the State Duma elections (Ryzhkov claims the list must be formed on YABLOKO’s platform – note of the press service) which, I am sure, will win but a single presidential candidate in 2018,” Vladimir Ryzhkov stated. According to Ryzhkov, a single candidate “will become not only a single candidate from all Russian democrats but will become a true alternative to Putin’s regime, a real and significant alternative to his foreign policy course, economic and internal policy course”.

Ryzhkov said that if Grigory Yavlinsky became such a single candidate, he would fully support his candidacy. “There is no doubt that this person is fully committed to the values of democracy, liberty, peaceful foreign policy, human right and fundamental rights and freedoms. He proved it with all his life,” Ryzhkov noted.

State Duma deputy Dmitry Gudkov also announced that he would support Grigory Yavlinsky’s candidacy at the coming presidential elections.

“I do not want any war, I do not want isolation of our country, I do not want to be the only independent State Duma deputy. Moreover, I want to say the at my first presidential elections, when I was very young, I voted for YABLOKO’s candidate, for Grigory Alekseyevich Yavlinsky,” Gudkov said.