The Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation has registered the Russian Democratic Party YABLOKO as an all-Russia political party.

On May 22, 2002, Deputy Minister of Justice Yevgeni Sidorenko handed the state registration certificate to the Chairman of the YABLOKO party Grigory Yavlinsky.

The certificate stipulates that the Russian Democratic Party YABLOKO was formed on April 25, 2002, the date when Eugeni Sidorenko signed the party's registration certificate, stamped and signed the party Charter.

The document also states that the permanent leading body of the party is the Presidium of the Bureau of the Federal Council; the legal address of the party is 119-34 Moscow Maliy Levshinskiy pereulok 7, building 3.

On December 22, 2001, the 10th congress of the All-Russia political public movement YABLOKO transformed the public movement into a political party pursuant to the Russian Federation law "On Political Parties" that came into force in 2001.

"Even though I am now speaking about a new political party, the public-political organisation Yabloko has been famous for a long time as a real political force, actively influencing developments in our country," Sidorenko said at the ceremony.

The Deputy Minister of Justice also noted that the party now needs to register in Russia's regions 60 regional branches of the YABLOKO party with over 12,000 members. This should be implemented within six months pursuant to the law.

Handing the state registration certificate of the YABLKO party to Yavlinsky, the Deputy Minister of Justice wished the party success.

In response Grigory Yavlinsky expressed his conviction that the "complicated process" of registration of YABLOKO's regional branches would be successful.

"Addressing our electorate, we would like to say that the main goal of our party is to protect the life and dignity of our citizens," added Yavlinsky. "We are the party defending the future of Russia, and we will implement all the requests of our electorate when they five times supported us during elections to the State Duma and presidential elections," stressed Yavlinsky.

Other leaders of the party- First Deputy Head of the YABLOKO party Vladimir Lukin, Deputy Chairmen Alexei Arbatov, Igor Artemyev and Sergei Mitrokhin, as well as the apparatus and the party and journalists were also present at the ceremony at the Ministry of Justice of the RF.

In accordance with the law, a party can be registered if it has at least 10,000,000 members and has at least 45 regional branches with at least 100 people each. Therefore not all the regional organisations of YABLOKO could apply for registration in the Ministry of Justice.

At present over 14,000 people who applied for party membership after the 10th (transitional) congress are members of the Russian Democratic Party YABLOKO. They are residents of 80 federation subjects (regions). Compared to the beginning of 2001, the number of members of YABLOKO grew twofold.

Today the Russian Democratic Party YABLOKO has 69 regional branches, local branches are effective in five more federation subjects, and in six federation subjects where members of YABLOKO are residents still do not have regional and local organisations of the party.

There are at least 100 members at 56 regional branches to the party.

The Ministry of Justice also notified the Press Service of YABLOKO that the Russian Democratic Party YABLOKO was the 14th political party to obtain a state registration certificate.

See also:

10th Congress of YABLOKO

RIA "OREANDA". May 23, 2002. The Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation registered the Russian Democratic Party YABLOKO as an all-Russian political party.