Press Release, 18.03.2018

Nikolai Rybakov, head of Grigory Yavlinsky headquarter, said that the data on the turnout at the presidential elections show that the idea of ​​a boycott failed. Rybakov called on all voters who favour a change in the country’s political course, come to polling stations and vote. He said this at a daily briefing in the central headquarters of Grigory Yavlinsky.

“The idea of ​​a boycott has completely failed,” Rybakov said. “Even in Moscow the turnout is much higher than at the previous presidential election in 2012, and I would like to turn to its [boycott] supporters, including those of Alexei Navalny. You have a few more hours to amend the situation! Because voting in these elections for Grigory Yavlinsky will give us all a chance, including to your leader, so that he could go on engaging in politics in our country, and Yavlinsky can, to a large extent, guarantee freedom to such politicians.”

Yabloko Chair Emilia Slabunova  supported the head of the headquarters. “By their inaction supporters of the boycott contribute to Putin’s reassignment. This is a political crime – this is inaction when the country is in a difficult situation,” Slabunova addressed voters.

Emilia Slabunova and Nikolai Rybakov also told about the violations that were registered by observers from Yabloko at the polling stations in different parts of the country by 14:00.

In total, more than 15,000 observers from Yabloko work at the polling stations.

Yabloko’s Call Center received about 1,000 calls about violations by 14:00. According to Emilia Slabunova, typical violations in these elections are as follows: hindering work of observers (such facts were recorded in the Volgograd, the Vologda and the Voronezh regions and other regions), ballot stuffing (signals already arrived from Moscow and Ingushetia), and organised “cruise voting” (the so-called “carousel voting”). According to reports of our observers and heads of regional headquarters, such methods are often practiced by heads of industrial enterprises.

Yabloko sends complaints to electoral commissions of different levels on all the recorded facts of violations. In addition, the legal service of Yabloko prepares a number of complaints to the Central Electoral Commission.