Vladimir Lukin speaks out against changes to the composition of the present Pardons Commission
Press release, July 13, 2001
Deputy Speaker of the Duma from the Yabloko faction Vladimir Lukin does not agree with the idea that the composition of the Pardoning Commission under the President of the RF should be changed. In an interview with journalists on Friday, July 13, 2001, he noted that it would be "very strange if after speaking in favour of abolishing the death penalty the President would replace or considerably dilute with bureaucracy the present Commission that today includes highly respected public figures headed by Anatoli Pristavkin, a talented and bright individual."

Igor Artemyev will head the team working on the preparation of the referendum, initiated by Yabloko, on imports of spent nuclear fuel into Russia
Press release, July 13, 2001
Secretary of the Yabloko Association and Deputy Head of the Yabloko faction in the State Duma of the Russian Federation Igor Artemyev will head the team working on the preparation of the referendum, initiated by Yabloko on imports of spent nuclear fuel into Russia.

Irina Khakamada: the liberals will answer for everything
An interview with Irina Khakamada of the Union of Right Forces
By Tatiana Kamoza, Liubov Tsukanova, Novoe Vremya, No. 28, July 15, 2001, pp. 8-13

Parliament suggests that President form ad hoc group to finalise pension reform legislation
By Ivan Rodin, RIA "Novosti", July 14, 2001, 23:59
The State Duma, or the lower Russian parliamentary house, proposes that President Vladimir Putin form an ad hoc group to finalise pension reform legislation. A resolution to this effect has been approved by 263 members of the Duma, against the bottom limit of 226, with 6 "no" votes and no abstentions.

Yabloko: the work of the State Duma during the spring session was successful
Press release, July 13, 2001
Yabloko assesses the work of the State Duma during the spring session 2001 as successful. However, all achievements in the work of the Duma "were reached due to the efforts of the Presidential Administration and the Government," stressed the First Deputy Head of the Yabloko faction in the State Duma Sergei Ivanenko at a press conference on Friday, July 13, 2001.

Yabloko calls for "honest and clean" gubernatorial elections in the Nizhny Novgorod region
Press release, July 13, 2001
The Nizhny Novgorod regional branch of the Yabloko Association consider it necessary to ensure that the gubernatorial elections in the Nizhny Novgorod region that will be held on July 15, 2001, are "honest and clean".

Nuclear commission in land of waste
By Denis Shevchenko, Rossiya, July 12, 2001, p. 2
How can we explain Putin's initiative in the matter of spent nuclear fuel? It may be Putin's way of shifting responsibility to Alferov (Ed.Nobel prize winner, member of the CPRF faction and head of the Duma committee on the import of nuclear waste), an ardent advocate of Russia's participation in spent nuclear fuel reprocessing. The scientist is quite sure that the new law will "help Russia retain and develop its nuclear energy sector and other high-tech industries." From now on, Alferov himself will be responsible forevery deadly container of spent nuclear fuel that enters Russia. And if anything should happen - which God forbid - it will be Alferov's head that rolls. The president will not be involved.

Yabloko and the SPS: Ekho Moskvi must remain an independent private radio station
Press release, July 12, 2001
A joint statement on the inadmissibility of the nationalisation of the Ekho Moskvi radio station was adopted at a meeting of the Joint Political Council of the Union of Right-Wing Forces (SPS) and Yabloko on Thursday July 12, 2001.

Grigory Yavlinsky comments on the union between Unity and Fatherland-All Russia
Press release, July 12, 2001
The only result of the union between Unity and Fatherland-All Russia will be the emergence of a pro-governmental association, said the leader of Yabloko Grigory Yavlinsky.

Looking for trouble
Economic growth could provoke a new political crisis
By Georgy Ilyichev, Izvestia, July 11, 2001
Commenting on economic progress over the past six months, Deputy Finance Minister Alexei Ulyukaev told the nation that economic growth for 2001 may be higher than expected. He believes that the revival in the domestic economy by April was so great that additional budget revenues by the end of the year "may exceed the planned sum by 100 billion rubles", and that "inflation could drop to zero in August and September". Paradoxically, some politicians may take such successful economic development as a personal offence.

The Kirsan saga
Why the Kremlin can't do anything about President Iliumzhinov of Kalmykia
By Inessa Slavutinskaya, Profil, No. 25, July 2, 2001, pp. 12-15
The Auditing Chamber Chairman Sergei Stepashin suffered a crushing defeat on June 22. The team of auditors he had sent to Kalmykia (in part, with the goal of proving misuse of state funds by President Kirsan Iliumzhinov) did find some infractions - but these were so small that they can be handled within standard procedures. This means that the expected major criminal charges in Kalmykia are unlikely to materialize.

Welcoming Nuclear Waste
By Sophia Kornienko, www.tol.cz, June 11, 2001
ST.PETERSBURG, Russia—Russia’s most recent money-making scheme could bring 20,000 tons of nuclear waste into the country over the next two decades. The plan, enabled by a bill recently passed by the state Duma, the lower house of parliament, has been vigorously criticized by economists, ecologists, and doctors. Meanwhile, even western exporters are questioning their counterpart’s venture, saying that the spent fuels may never reach Russia.

Wasting Away
By Anna Badkhen, www.tol.cz, June 5, 2001
The Soviets kept a dirty secret about deadly radiation from the villagers of Muslyumovo, and now the Russians want to cover up old waste with new.

Yabloko leader comments on the meeting of State Duma with President Putin
Press release, July 12, 2001
Grigory Yavlinsky, the leader of Yabloko and its parliamentary faction in the Duma, thinks that the arguments of the left wing who were advocating suspension of the examination in the second reading of the draft Land Code in the Duma did not convince the President.

Grigory Yavlinsky proposes to use Internet for public control over elections
Press release, July 12, 2001
The Yabloko party proposes to use the Internet for public control over
elections. This was announced by the leader of Yabloko Grigory Yavlinsky on Thursday, July 12, 2001, at the conference "Internet in Election Campaigns".

Russia's Duma Approves Crucial Land Code
Reuters, July 14, 2001
...Approval of the second reading of the legislation, fiercely opposed by the Communist Party and their Agrarian allies, was the final measure of the State Duma or lower house's spring session during which many laws promoted by Putin were passed...

Weary Duma Signs Off on Land Code
By Yevgenia Borisova The Moscow Times, July 16, 2001, p. 1
With extraordinarily heavy-handed lobbying, the government succeeded in winning the State Duma's approval Saturday for a new Land Code that allows Russians and foreigners to buy and sell commercial and residential land. Duma deputies passed the controversial code after an exhausting, 11-hour second reading on the final day of their extended spring session. The code will come up for a third reading, usually a formality, in the fall.

Vladimir Lukin: the death penalty should be abolished
Press release, July 11, 2001
In an interview with journalists on Tuesday, July 11, 2001, the Deputy Speaker of the Duma from the Yabloko faction Vladimir Lukin said that in his view the deputies of the Duma should urgently discuss the problem of abolishing the death penalty in Russia.

Yabloko and the Union of Right-Wing Forces Unite against Spent Nuclear Fuel
Rossiya, July 9, 2001, p. 3

Collection of signatures for referendum against the import of spent nuclear fuel to Russia to begin in autumn
Finmarket agency, July 07, 2001

Yabloko has not given up on the idea of a referendum on imports of nuclear waste into Russia
Press release, July 11, 2001
Boris Nemtsov, leader of the Union of Right-Wing Forces (SPS) faction in the Duma, thinks that President Putin has "made a major political mistake" in signing today the draft laws allowing for the import of spent nuclear fuel into the country.

Yabloko: President's signing of the laws on the import of nuclear waste into Russia is a major error
Press release, July 11, 2001
The Yabloko Association thinks that President Putin's signing of the laws on the import of nuclear waste into Russia represents a "political mistake". As Grigory Yavlinsky, the leader of Yabloko stated on Wednesday, July 11, 2001, this decision "damages the national interests of Russia and will have serious consequences for future generations of the citizens of our country."

Yabloko's amendments to the Land Code aim to create a broad layer of landowners in Russia
Press release, July 9, 2001
The Yabloko faction has introduced over 300 amendments into the draft Land Code, which will be examined by the State Duma in second reading on July 14, 2001. The Yabloko faction supported the draft in the first reading as a fundamentally important step towards a civilised system of relationships in the use of land.

Vladimir Lukin: expansion of NATO to Vladivostok would be optimal
Press release, July 3, 2001
Deputy Speaker of the State Duma from the Yabloko faction Vladimir Lukin thinks that the borders of European civilisation should spread from Lisbon to Vladivostok. "Lisbon - Vladivostok – that is how far the border of Europe should go," said Lukin on Monday during a meeting with members of the Senate and National Assembly of France, who arrived in Moscow with the official delegation headed by the President of France Jacques Chirac.

Grigory Yavlinsky: Vladimir Putin understands the crux of economic problems
Press release, July 3, 2001
The leader of Yabloko Grigory Yavlinsky thinks that, even though Vladimir Putin is not an economist he understands the crux of the economic problems facing Russia at present. "The main thing is that he understands the crux," said Yavlinsky in an interview given to the Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper, which was published on July 3, 2001.

In autumn 2001 Yabloko will begin gathering votes for a referendum on the import of nuclear waste into Russia
Press release, July 3, 2001
In summer 2001 the public and political association Yabloko is going to "finish the organisational period for the preparation and gathering of votes against imports of nuclear waste into Russia." This decision was announced on July 2, 2001 by Igor Artemyev at a press conference in St. Petersburg.

Deputy of the State Duma Igor Artemyev: Yabloko managed to introduce important amendments to the package of draft laws on judicial reform
Press release, July 3, 2001
The adoption by the State Duma on the first reading of four draft laws from the package of draft laws on judicial reform represents "the initial stage of the real democratisation and protection of the judicial authority in Russia." Such an opinion was expressed by the deputy Head of the Yabloko faction in the lower chamber of the Russian parliament Igor Artemyev at a press conference in St. Petersburg on July 2, 2001.

Yabloko is concerned about the suspension of work of the Presidential Pardon Commission
Press release, July 3, 2001
The public and political association Yabloko thinks that changes will be introduced in autumn 2001 to the Criminal Code of the RF. These changes may repeal the moratorium on the implementation of court decisions on the death penalty effective in the Russian Federation at present.

Vladimir Lukin: The Albanians may destabilise the situation in Greece and Chernogoria
Press release, July 3, 2001
Deputy Speaker of the State Duma from the Yabloko faction Vladimir Lukin said that the Albanian extremists "should be put in their place" as they may destabilise the situation not only in Macedonia, but also in other Balkan states.

Supporting the draft law "On the Status of Judges in the RF" Yabloko aspires to achieve real independence of the judicial system
Press release, June 29, 2001
On June 28, 2001 the State Duma adopted on the first reading the law "On the Status of Judges in the RF". Deputy Head of the Yabloko faction Igor Artemyev makes the following comments. "I should remind you that this draft law is the result of the work of the bilateral commission of the Presidential Administration and Yabloko, which was created in December 2000 on the special orders of Vladimir Putin," said Artemyev.

Yabloko insists on the normalisation of work of the Pardon Commission
Press release, June 28, 2001
The Yabloko faction supports the members of the Presidential Pardon Commission who oppose the bureaucratisation of its performance. As stressed in a statement of the Yabloko faction disseminated on Thursday, June 28, 2001, "the Pardon Commission should remain an institute representing civil society." The statement notes: "Its transformation into a department of state machinery headed by bureaucrats is inadmissible."

Sergei Ivanenko assesses the decision to hand over Milosevic to the international tribunal as "the decision of the people of Yugoslavia"
Press release, June 28, 2001
Deputy Head of the Yabloko faction in the State Duma of the Russian Federation Sergei Ivanenko assesses the decision of the Serbian government to extradite the former president of the country Slobodan Milosevic to the international tribunal in the Hague as "the decision of the people of Yugoslavia". "Therefore we should treat this decision with respect," noted Ivanenko in an interview with journalists on Thursday, June 28, 2001.

Vladimir Lukin thinks that a Yugoslavian court could have judged Milosevic
Press release, June 26, 2001
Deputy Speaker of the State Duma from the Yabloko faction Vladimir Lukin thinks that the leadership of Yugoslavia changed its position regarding the extradition of the former President of Yugoslavia Slobodan Milosevic to the international tribunal in the Hague under the "pressure of circumstance".

Liberalism for Everybody
By Grigory Yavlinsky, Obshaya Gazeta, June 28, 2001, p. 7
One of the main results of the past Russian reforms is disillusionment of the people over democratic principles and liberal values. Russia has covered a lot of ground over the past ten years. The totalitarian political system and command-and-distribution economy have been left in the past.

War-Head Headache (How can Russia respond to NMD plans?)
Interview with Alexei Arbatov, Obshaya Gazeta, June 28, 2001
Quite a few foreign mass media publications continue to voice their bitterness and disappointment as President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation has allegedly dashed the international community's hopes of a new era in Russian-US relations after the Ljubljana summit. In other words, Putin has made three statements over the past seven days, referring to Russian readiness to beef up its nuclear forces in response to America's NMD (National Missile Defence) programme. Alexei Arbatov, deputy chairman of the State Duma's Defence Committee, had this to say on the issue.

Grigory Yavlinsky’s programme at the International Economic Forum in Salzburg

Press release, July 2, 2001

The meeting of the International Economic Forum, also known as the “summer Davos” will take place in Salzburg, Austria, on July 1-3, 2001. The summer meetings of the Forum are traditionally devoted to European problems.

Sergei Mitrokhin: the members of the upper chamber of the Russian parliament have virtually approved the import of nuclear waste into Russia
Press release, June 29, 2001
The Ideology Secretary of the Yabloko party Sergei Mitrokhin said that on Friday, June 28, 2001 the Federation Council virtually approved the total package of the laws known as “nuclear laws”. In an interview with journalists, Mitrokhin stressed that the adoption of even a single law out of the package obviously demonstrates that all the three laws are supported, i.e. the senators virtually approved imports of the spent nuclear fuel into Russia.

Interview with Grigory Yavlinsky
Marianna Maximovskaya, “Segodnya” programme, TV-6, June 26, 2001