Statement of the Russian Democratic Party YABLOKO

On Arbitrary Rule during the Election Campaign in Sverdlovsk Region

The destruction of the institution of democratic elections in Russia is currently spreading from the federal to regional level.

Employing bureaucratic procedures, the Electoral Commission of Sverdlovsk Region refused to register a number of opposition political associations, including the "SPS and YABLOKO" bloc.

The ousting of the "SPS and YABLOKO" bloc, as well as other representatives of the opposition from the elections to the Sverdlovsk Regional Duma can be attributed to a decision by the regional leadership aimed at meeting the interests of the United Russia party which fears any competition.

We will appeal to the Chairman of the Central Electoral Commission Alexander Veshnyakov, demanding immediate compliance with electoral legislation in Sverdlovsk region and the application of against its electoral commission in accordance with the law.

This is another example of arbitrary rule during election campaigns, demonstrating that the current card sharp play, with the result known in advance, is totally unrelated to elections. Elections can only be free and fair. Here on the contrary they are being transformed into afarce.

Chairman of the party

Grigory Yavlinsky

YABLOKO thinks that the Sverdolovsk Electoral Commission deliberately dragged out the registration of the plenipotentiary on financial issues from parties and blocs to make the registration of our bloc and other competitors of the present authorities impossible.

For example the meeting of the Regional Electoral Commission on February 1, 2004, which had to register the financial plenipotentiary, did not take place as there was no quorum. The meeting on February 2, on the last day for registering participants in the election campaign was postponed from 10.00 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Electoral Commission decided to register the financial plenipotentiary at 6.15 p.m.

However, at this hour the plenipotentiary could not open a bank account and submit its electotral deposit. Consequently, the electoral bloc could not be registered.

In addition to the "SPS and YABLOKO" bloc, the Union of Budget Workers of the Urals, Our Home Is the Urals and the Union of the New Right-Wing, as well as the regional branch of the Party of the Revival of the Urals ended up in the same situation.

On the same day, February 2, the Chairman of Sverdlovsk regional branch of YABLOKO Yuri Kuznetsov and Chairman of the SPS regional branch Timur Goryachev sent a telegramme to the Head of the Central Electoral Commission Alexander Veshnyakov demanding that measures be taken over the prevention of the registration of the bloc. However, as yet no answer has been received from the Central Electoral Commission.

The elections to the Regional Duma of the Legislative Assembly of Sverdlovsk Regionare scheduled for March 14, 2004.

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