The main Russian opposition democratic partу can not participate in St.-Petersburg elections

The Electoral Commission of St.-Petersburg and Central Electoral Commission of Russia issued decisions that refused participation of «Yabloko» United Democratic Party in elections to the Legislative Assembly of St.-Petersburg, (March, 11, 2007). 10,4 % of signatures from about 40 000 collected by «Yabloko» were considered to be incorrect (by St.-Petersburg legislation the percentage should not exceed 10 %). According to the independent experts’ opinion the maximum number of incorrectly registered signatures is less than 8%.

“Yabloko” Party has wide support in St.-Petersburg. And the support increased in 2006 after Russian Greens and Human Rights defenders were included in this party and formed their factions there. As result the party electoral list in St.-Petersburg included leaders of “Green Russia” Olga Tsepilova and Alexander Nikitin, and well-known human rights activist Iulij Rybakov.

We believe that «Yabloko» was forbidden to take part in elections for political reasons. Regional officials are afraid of “Yabloko” presence in the City Parliament because of “Yabloko’s” positions against re-appointment of City Governor Valentina Matvienko, because of Yabloko’s position against the project to build a 396-meters-high tower for Gazprom’s headquarters in the historical center of St.-Petersburg, because «Yabloko» resists intensification of corruption in St.-Petersburg and is strongly against environmentally dangerous projects. Therefore city bureaucrats try their best to exclude «Yabloko» from the political process.

We express serious apprehension about increasing authoritarianism in Russia and appeal to all democratic forces in the world to resist dangerous tendencies and support the democratic and green political movement in Russia.