Press Release, 13.05.2024

Photo: The Moscow City Duma / Photo by the Yabloko Press Service

Such decision was made by the Moscow Yabloko Bureau in early May. A headquarters has been created to work during elections. The work of the headquarters will be coordinated by Maxim Kruglov, the head of the Yabloko faction in the Moscow City Duma, Kirill Goncharov, a Deputy Chairman of the Moscow Yabloko, and Maria Chuprina, the Chair of one of the local branches of the Moscow Yabloko. The decision to nominate candidates will be made at the Moscow Yabloko conference in June.

Maxim Kruglov, Deputy Chairman of the party and head of the Yabloko faction in the Moscow City Duma, notes that the decision to participate in the elections was a difficult one for the Moscow regional branch.

“We know what obstacles the authorities have created for us. Our candidates will need to collect thousands of signatures for nomination; any of us could be recognised as a “foreign agent” at any time solely for political reasons; it will be extremely difficult for us to conduct an election campaign. Anti-constitutional and repressive laws contrary to common sense will work against any dissenting candidate. In the end, the electronic voting is on the side of the administrative candidates. All of these are serious risks,” Kruglov notes.

At the same time, there are politicians in Yabloko who are ready to take on these risks and responsibilities and run for the party, Maxim Kruglov says. What will unite the candidates will be the main political demand – a ceasefire agreement between Russia and Ukraine. At the same time, city and regional problems will also be included in the candidates’ election programmes.

“Yabloko stands for peace and freedom. Moscow must become a city of peace, freedom and security. Only in such conditions can Moscow and Muscovites have a future without fear and confidence in the future. Without peace and freedom there can be no security. Our responsibility is to offer Muscovites this choice,” Kruglov emphasises.

At present the Yabloko faction in the Moscow City Duma includes three deputies-members of the party – Maxim Kruglov, Sergei Mitrokhin and Yevgeniy Bunimovich, as well as deputy Daria Besedina. They won mandates in the main elections in 2019. Vladimir Ryzhkov, nominated by Yabloko, won by-elections to the Moscow City Duma in 2021, and in 2024 prematurely terminated his powers as a deputy at his own request.

The main elections to the Moscow City Duma in 2024 will be held on a single voting day, 8 September.