Press Release, 25.08.2022

Photo: Anna Cherepanova / Photo from social media

Anna Cherepanova, deputy of the Novgorod City Duma and Chair of the regional branch of Yabloko, submitted documents to participate in the competition for the post of the Novgorod Mayor.

On 14 March, Sergei Busurin, Mayor of Novgorod, submitted to the Duma an application for early resignation from his post at his own request. His term expires in 2023. In February 2021, the Novgorod City Duma recognized the Mayor’s report on activities in 2020 as unsatisfactory by a one-vote majority. The next report in 2022 also received different assessments from the deputies, but was considered satisfactory, receiving 20 votes against eight. Two “failures” in a row would have allowed the City Duma to dismiss the Mayor.

The competition for the selection of candidates for the post of Mayor of Novgorod will be held on 21 September.

Anna Cherepanova commented on her decision to participate in the competition:

“I am a Novgorodian by birth, a democrat by conviction, and an economist by profession. I love my native Novgorod, I see its development as a modern, prosperous and open city. I believe that the residents of the city are the main customers of the work of the Mayor’s Office, and the Mayor should be a public politician who has gone through elections, and enjoys the respect and support of Novgorod residents. I will not be a cog in a machine, subordinate to the Governor and his Administration. The Mayor is obliged to act in the interests of people and solve their problems. It is not simply my right to propose and implement a programme for the future, but it is my duty to the Novgorod residents who voted for me and the Yabloko party in the elections, who dream of Novgorod as a worthy heir to its great history.”

Earlier, Anna Cherepanova had not been registered as a candidate in the gubernatorial elections, as she had not been able to pass the municipal filter (collection of a certain number of signatures of municipal deputies in favour of a candidate, whereas one municipal deputy has the right to put his/her signature only once, often the authorities use this filter to stop opposition candidates from running by not allowing the pro-government majority to sign in favour of the opposition). Anna Cherepanova sent a statement to the Investigative Committee on the fact of a possible conspiracy of candidates – the current governor and his spoilers – in order to deprive the Yabloko candidate of the opportunity to pass the filter.

Anna CHEREPANOVA

is a member of the Federal Bureau of Yabloko, Chair of the Novgorod regional branch of the party. Deputy of the Novgorod Duma