Press release, photographs, video, 23.03.2016

Vladimir Ryzhkov is going to stand for the State Duma as YABLOKO’s candidate and support Grigory Yavlinsky’s candidacy at the presidential elections. The politician had explained his “deliberate political decision to support YABLOKO and cooperate with YABLOKO” in a video message which was published on the YABLOKO website.

“The elections to the State Duma and presidential elections are one electoral cycle, they are the window of opportunities which we, the citizens of Russia, have to change the situation in the country,” Vladimir Ryzhkov said.
According to Ryzhkov, the goal is to form “a strong team of professionals with the programme on economic growth, restoration of Russia’s positions on the world stage, solution of social and economic problems, improvement of the governance system” on YABLOKO’s platform. The team must win the elections to the State Duma and then support Grigory Yavlinsky at the presidential elections. “To change the situation in Russia cardinally, one must win not only the State Duma elections but by all means the presidential elections as well,” Ryzhkov explained.

Vladimir Ryzhkov and Grigory Yavlinsky at the meeting at YABLOKO office, 23 March, 2016

He is convinced that there are no other candidates to gather around at the moment but for Grigory Yavlinsky. “Our relations were different in different periods in the past, we had many different arguments but the main task for today is to consolidate as a single team at the State Duma elections, and gather around one candidate at the presidential elctions,” Ryzhkov concluded.

Vladimir Ryzhkov was the deputy of the State Duma of the first, second, third and fourth convocations, co-Chair of RPR-PARNAS (until 2014), he is a Candidate of Historic Sciences, Professor at Higher School of Economics.