Press Release, 18.11.2024

Photo by the Yabloko Press Service

On 24 November, a rally against the cancellation of the mayoral elections will be held in Yakutsk. Participants will gather at 14:30, the rally will begin at 15:00. The organiser of the event is the Yabloko branch in Yakutia. Yabloko has received a permission for the rally from the city administration.

The Yakutian authorities are planning to cancel the mayoral elections in Yakutsk, the capital of Yakutia, and instead they will appoint the mayor. Yakutia’s branch of Yabloko is categorically against this initiative. Cancellation of the mayoral elections will reduce competition and the quality of governance, the appointed mayor will be guided by higher-ranking officials, and will not depend on voters, therefore, will have not responsibility to residents. Decisions will be made without taking into account local problems and the specifics, and the needs of people.

“We are sure that there are many opponents of the cancellation of the mayoral elections, and our voice must be heard by the authorities. That is why today we have filed a notice of holding a rally against the cancellation of direct elections, the rally is planned for 24 November,” Anatoly Nogovitsyn, Chairman of the Yakutian Yabloko, commented when applying for a permission to hold the rally.

Yabloko calls all the residents of Yakutsk to come to the Yabloko rally to defend the right to choose the government.