An interview with Sergei Brylyev, Vesti.ru, 20.11.2017

Grigory Yavlinsky, Chair of Yabloko’s Political Committee, has begun his presidential campaign in Tomsk. He ran in the presidential election in the remote year of 1996. He achieved his best result in 2000 coming third. However, he did not manage to became a candidate later on.

– Grigory Alexeyevich, why did you begin your election campaign in Siberia? When did you announce the start of your election campaign in Tomsk?

– Because this is Russia. This is true Russia. Tomsk is a wonderful city. Moreover, one of the major components of my proposals on the economic policy is to change the structure budget distribution. Can you imagine that 67-68 per cent of the Tomsk tax return goes to the federal budget whereas only about 27 per cent is left for the city. And the tax return on the municipal level is only 3 per cent. But I think that the starting basis should make at least 33 per cent. Look what a wonderful city it is! But it is not very easy to live here. Do you know the number of Tomsk residents who have natural gas in our energy super power? 8 per cent. And a pipeline is situated quite nearby. Where does it lead to? To China.

-When did you run for President for the first time? In 1996?

– Yes.

– Then you ran in 2000 – it was our best result, you came third.

– Yes.

– Well, it was a good result. Why are you running for President again?

– We must change our policy. The country is about to reach a deadlock.

– Even despite the collapse of the liberal idea? Unfortunately, it collapsed.

-It is not about any idea. It is that we must not let our country collapse, it is about to reach a deadlock. Such economy and such economic policy lead to poverty. The country is in isolation. We must withdraw from the civil war in Syria. It is a senseless mire, and will take years before Russia manages to get out of it. I do not approve of such a policy, it must be changed.

-It is easy to say that you do not approve of it. But what should be done instead?

– We should have peace with Ukraine. We must stop the war against it and the propaganda of hatred. The number of Russians engaged in business should reach at least 60 per cent, and not it is 16 per cent of the population. People should learn to trust the government.

– Do they need more trust? The level of credibility is about 80 per cent.

– Yes, the level of credibility for canned sprats in a shop that has nothing else to offer is also high. By the way, it the level of credibility for a certain person not the state.

– Putin?

– Yes, he is only one.

– Do you speak of Ukraine this way because you were born in Lviv?

– I was born in the Soviet Union. The whole matters a lot to me. This is why I say so. What is the difference? You should speak of Ukraine the same way because you were born in Moscow, for example.

– And what do you think about the situation with Crimea?

– The situation with Crimea is very bad because the world community does not knowledge what happened it 2014. This is why we must hold an international conference on the future of Crimea and develop a road map to solve all the issues. We are a country with unrecognised boarders. And would not like to live an a country with unrecognised boarders.

– Let us not speak of Crimea in terms of territorial boarders, but the sovereign will of people. You are a democrat. And the majority of the residents of Crimea voted for joining Russia. What about the sovereign will?

– In this case we need to ask them to vote in the conditions of a legitimate referendum that will be acknowledged by the world. That is it. I think Russia should stop being the object of sanctions for all the countries in the world. When is it going to end? It will result in very serious future consequence.

– It is an everlasting topic – the unity and separation of our democratic forces. It has been an issue for such a long time…

– Wonderful. There are different democratic forces in our country.

– You have a competitor on the liberal flank now – Ksenia Sobchak.

– She is a candidate “against all”. I am a candidate for all.

– I remember that both of you were making speeches at Bolotnaya Square [where big opposition protest rallies took place].

– There was about a million people at Bolotnaya Square then, and it was a very right thing to attend. It was the first signal that policy must be changed. Instead [the authorities] started arresting people. Political prisoners appeared in Russia. This is very bad.

– Who are your competitors in this election? Who are running against?

– Against Vladimir Putin. He is my only rival.

– Despite the fact that his rating makes 80 per cent?

– Despite his 90, 146 per cent rating. His rating is about 146 per cent. And he is my rival.

– We are talking about the presidential elections. I know that they are coming soon. But if we look at the results of the parliamentary election, the democrats did not do very well.

– I would say that the whole country did not do well. By the way, I would like to take the opportunity to thank our voters. Over a million people voted for us. A million people of Russia, who can tell the difference between the truth and the lies under present conditions, is a big achievement. We in Yabloko do appreciate our voters.

– What bar do you set in the presidential election?

– My main objective is to change the policies in Russia. The result in the election is not that important. You cannot go by the result in this election. We can do it only if the situation starts to change, if the economic, foreign and internal policies start to change, if sanctions are lifted and the collapse of foreign policy is prevented. If we improve cooperation with our neighbours and the world. If we have the institution of private property which cannot be taken away and redistributed. If we have competition, sources of finance, new technology. That will be the main result.

– You are not a presidential candidate from the legal point of view yet, you are a candidate for a presidential candidate?

– That is true.

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