Press release, 08.08.2016

At a press conference dedicated to the start of the election campaign YABLOKO leaders Emilia Slabunova and Grigory Yavlinsky told the journalists about the active phase of the party’s election campaign which will start in the end of August.

The top ten candidates on the federal list of nominees have already started a campaign tour round the regions of Russia, they are intended to travel through the whole country. Politician Vladimir Ryzkov, who is number three on the list, visited Volgograd last week, Galina Shirshina [ex-Mayor of Petrozavodsk, ALDE-CoR 2016 LeaDeR award winner] is going to visit Kazan tomorrow, YABLOKO Chair Emilia Slabunova will make a visit to Tula on Wednesday.

The active phase of the campaign of agitation will start on August 20 since, according to the law, election campaigning in media is allowed from this day on. Leader of YABLOKO’s federal list Grigory Yavlinsky promised that the party will use all the free air time and advertising spaces in federal and regional mass media due to YABLOKO under the law as well as will buy paid air and advertising spaces.

The party has already reserved 2 thousand billboards for outdoor advertising. However, the real number of billboards depends on whether the regional authorities are going to put obstetrical in way of YABLOKO or not. This way the government of the Altai Territory has already prohibited YABLOKO’s billboards with the slogan “Let us pull Altai out of poverty” and with the portraits of Vladimir Ryzhkov and regional party leader Alexander Goncharenko.

The party is intended to use online advertising. About 200 million impressions will be shown on social networks and mobile apps.
The general circulation of YABLOKO’s printed materials will make about 20 million copies.

Three thousand agitators are going to participate in the outdoor campaign. The party expects that a large number of volunteers will take part in the campaign as well.

About a thousand campaigning “constructions” such as, for example, stands will be used.

The outdoor campaign in the regions of Russia starts on August 29, when the majority of Russians return from their vacations. The election campaign in Moscow starts a week earlier,  on August 22.

Grigory Yavlinsky stressed that YABLOKO counts on the support of the citizens. “You should realise that you are voting for yourself, honestly, not for us. You are determining your own fate, you and your children need this,” he addressed the voters.

YABLOKO also counts on the financial support of both individuals and companies.