Press release, 17.02.2016

The deputies of the YABLOKO faction in St.Petersburg Legislative Assembly voted against the bill on the election of the city parliament deputies in the third reading because, on the whole, they disapprove of the election concept proposed by the ruling United Russia party.

Head of the YABLOKO faction Grigory Yavlinsky announced it.

At the same time, he acknowledged a gratitude to Vyacheslav Makarov, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly. According to Yavlinsky, Makarov did not agree to the manipulation of the draft, in particular he kept the amendment introduced by YABLOKO’s deputy Alexander Kobrinsky which was adopted in the second reading.
The amendment changes the arithmetical principle of the deputies’ seats allocation in accordance with the obtained votes of electors in favour of greater justice for all the parties participating in the elections.

On 3 February, the YABLOKO faction in St.Petersburg Legislative Assembly issued a statement against the bill of St.Petersburg “On the election of deputies of the St.Petersburg Legislative Assembly” which includes the introduction of a mixed electoral system initiated by the United Russia party.

“Introduction of a mixed electoral system – with majority constituencies – will inevitably lead to the reduction of representativity of the city parliament which is ensured only by the proportional electoral system that guarantees protection of interests of voters with different political views. Experience demonstrates that majority constituencies are increasingly influenced by the administrative resource and election fraud there is greater as compared to the proportional system of elections. In a single-mandate constituency votes given for all the candidates except for the winner are wasted. The YABLOKO faction considers this unacceptable,” the statement says.