Press Release, 26.05.2014

On May 25 and 26 Sergei Mitrokhin held meetings with environmentalists, election observers, public activists and YABLOKO members during his working visit to Kabardino-Balkaria and Chechnya.

At one of the meetings Rustam Pshegusov, Ph.D., senior researcher of the Kabardino-Balkarian Research Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences told Sergei Mitrokhin about environmental problems of the city and the republic.

According to Pshegusov, the major problems are pollution of environment and shrinking of forests by 25 per cent of the past years.

Sergei Mitrokhin and leader of the Kabardino-Balkarian branch of YABLOKO Khakim Kuchmezov told the public that YABLOKO’s Green Russia faction would take an active part in the solution of environmental problems and would do all it can so that to improve the environmental situation in the republic.

Sergei Mitrokhin also discussed with YABLOKO members the situation in the regional branch of the party and its participation in the regional elections, as elections to the regional parliament should take place in September 2014.

This year, in a single day of voting elections of deputies of the Parliament of the CBD. To date, the Parliament of Kabardino-Balkaria consists of 72 deputies, whereas 52 mandates belong to the ruling United Russia party.

Party activist Zupar Akkayev recalled how elections to the State Duma were held in 2011: “Our observers were beaten in the polling stations when they detected stuffing of [fraudulent] ballots, final protocols were taken from them, someone was just left locked up in the polling station and not even allowed to go to the toilet”.

However, Akkayev also said that, despite this, over 200 people were ready again to become observers of the YABLOKO party and monitor the coming [regional parliamentary] elections in the Fall.

On May 26, Sergei Mitrokhin met with representatives of the Chechen community: writers, human rights activists, journalists, politicians and YABLOKO members.

Arsanukaev Abdullah, Director of the Institute of Education thanked YABLOKO for the support of the Chechen people during both the wars, when the party was trying to stop the bloodshed. “Speaking on television channels Grigory Yavlinsky told the truth and urged to stop the war in Chechnya, despite the fact that the majority was supporting it. He was not afraid that he would lose votes and fought for the truth and life of people,” he said.

Former coordinator of the LDPR party in Chechnya Adlan Shamsadov called to vote for YABLOKO: “This is the only party which has not changed its principles and has been working for the people ,” Shamsadov noted.

Adlan Shamsadov left the LDPR party and dissolution of its local branch after LDPR leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky had called to limit births among residents of the Northern Caucasus and to “fence the territory of the Caucasus with barbed wire”.

Public activists from Chechnya thanked Sergei Mitrokhin for forwarding an appeal to the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation to open a criminal case against Vladimir Zhirinovsky and [Governor of the Krasnodar Territory] Alexander Tkachyov for his nationalistic statements.

Sergei Mitrokhin urged all to join YABLOKO and support the party in a difficult situation when public activities in Chechnya may cause a negative assessment from the local authorities.

At the end of his working visit Sergei Mitrokhin met with Chairman of the Parliament of the Republic of Chechnya Dukuvakha Abdurakhmanov, who expressed gratitude to YABLOKO for its fight against anti-Caucasian sentiments and nationalism.

Sharip Tzuruyev, member of YABLOKO’s Regional Council, heads of the party branches in Chechnya and North Ossetia Kuirash Ibragimov and Anatoly Sidakov participated in the meeting. The parties discussed the problems of interethnic relations.

On May 24, Sergei Mitrokhin participated in interregional conference “Human Rights and International Relations in the Northern Caucasus” which was held in Pyatigorsk.