On Saturday, November 29, 2009, a meeting of YABLOKO’s Bureau
took place in Moscow. The Bureau adopted decisions on working
over persuading the government not to abolish indexation of
unemployment benefits, return gratuitous public transport
tickets for pensioners of the Moscow Region and creation of
nature reserve Utrish. The Bureau also heard the reports of
the Human Rights and the Gender factions of the party.
The meeting was opened by party Chair Sergei Mitrokhin who
made a report on the political situation in Russia. “It has
become clear after voting on October 11 that elections as
a legitimate institution that could be trusted by the society
is completely ruined in Russia. This means that the democratic
project of the country’s development initiated in the late
1980s has been completely closed now – and not only by the
ruling elite, but by the society as well,” Mitrokhin said.
According to Mitrokhin, the forthcoming YABLOKO’s congress
(that will take place in December 2009) has to formulate the
basis of a new democratic project for Russia.
Chair of the socio-democratic faction of the party Anatoly
Golov submitted to the Bureau draft resolution on infringement
of the rights of the unemployed. The Bureau expressed protest
in connection with the decision of the Government not to conduct
indexation of unemployment benefits in 2010. According to
Golov, this “dooms millions of people to destitute”. YABLOKO
proposes to restore the institution of insurance from the
loss of job and demands fixing the minimum unemployment benefit
at at least subsistence minimum and the maximum benefit at
two subsistence minimums.
Anatoly Golov, Boris Misnik, member of the party Political
Committee and Dmitry Ilyushin, Deputy Chair of the Moscow
Region branch of YABLOKO also submitted a draft statement
on infringement of pensioners’ rights in the Moscow Region.
“The Government of the Moscow Region headed by Boris Gromov
decided to cover its failing and devastating economic policy
with cynical groundings for abolishing of gratuitous public
transport tickets for pensioners of the Moscow Region,” Dmitry
Ilyushin told. “General Gromov did not have the courage to
admit his defeat and he decided to amend the budget holes
at the expense of pensioners,” he added. Ilyushin also said
that “2010 will bring a lot of unpleasant surprises for the
population of the Moscow Region”, such as “virtual abolishment
of allowances for covering of housing and communal services,
closing of 138 schools and dismissal of 9,000, rising of monopolies’
tariffs, transport monopolies inclusive.”
The Bureau adopted a decision to apply to the Moscow Government
with a request to allot funds for compensation of public transportation
fares for the pensioners of the Moscow Region in 2010.
The leader of the Gender faction of the party Galina Mikhalyova
submitted to the Bureau draft statement on growing discrimination
of women in Russia. “Discrimination of women in Russia has
increased, and it is a result of curbing of democratic institutions
in the country,” Mikhalyova said. “Growing inequality between
men and women in the wage pay is obvious, the crisis also
affected the share of dismissed women of pre-pension age and
women with small children. Financing of the social sphere
was also reduced, this affected children allowances, kindergartens
and orphanages,” she noted.
According to Mikhalyova, “in view of growing clerical trends
the andocentric moods in the society also rose. According
to the World Economic, Forum Russia’s rank as of representation
of women in politics fall from 91 (out of 115)”.
YABLOKO remains the only party in Russia which fights for
equal rights and possibilities for women,” Mikhalyova said.
Deputy head of St.Petersburg branch of YABLOKO Nikolai Rybakov
initiated a statement demanding to create national park Utrish
in the Krasnodar Area. “The movement for creation of such
a park began in 1980s, however, no definite decision has been
taken yet. At present a cade forest has been cut under construction
of a road to the new recreation complex of the Presidential
Property Management Department,” Rybakov noted.
The Bureau demanded from the authorities to abolish the plans
of building a recreation complex in the unique natural area
and to commission the Ministry of Natural Resources to create
a nature reserve there.
The Bureau also heard the reports of the Human Rights and
the gender factions of the party. Human rights activist Valery
Borschyov said that a very important result of the work was
adoption by the State Duma of the law “On public control over
observation of human rights in the places of forced imprisonment”.
Borschyov also marked round table discussion organised by
the Ossetian YABLOKO for the Ingushes and Ossetians in Nazran
in September 2009. President of Ingushetia Yunus-Bek Yevkyrov,
Russia’s Ombudsman Vladimir Lukin, Supreme Commissioner for
Human Rights of the Council of Europe and leading human rights
activists also participated in this round table.
See also:
Human
Rights
Yabloko
for Environmental Safety
Women’s
Movement
Housing
and Utilities Reform
Anti-monopoly
legislation
| 