Delegates to the 21st Congress of the Yabloko Party during the weekend of 3-4 April adopted a package of key proposals for reforming the party and launching the party’s campaign ahead of the scheduled Parliamentary elections in September.

Attended by almost 120 delegates from dozens of regions, the Congress took place over two days, and party founder Grigory Yavlinsky was one of the first to speak from the rostrum of the congress where he explained the meanings of the proposed reforms - to preserve the core of the democratic opposition in Russia under the conditions of an authoritarian regime. 

Later, Yabloko Chairman Nikolai Rybakov in his speech recalled that there are hundreds of political prisoners who are being tried or have already been imprisoned, and stressed it was the party’s continued responsibility to demand the release of these people at the earliest opportunity. 

He spoke about the achievements of Yabloko in the difficult year 2020, when, in addition to the amendments, the coronavirus pandemic hit Russia, and noted that thanks to active work, the rating of the party had grown for the first time in many years. 

He said that to the coalition policy of the party is developing, a large extent, as an alliance of Yabloko and citizens, and the main goal of the work is to create a serious single democratic opposition faction in the State Duma as a result of the elections. Another important task is to nominate a party candidate for the presidency in the next presidential elections.

Current opinion polls indicate the personal rating of President Putin and the authorities is falling, while that of Yabloko is growing, with the party achieving between 4-10% (the electoral threshold for entering the State Duma is 5%).

The Congress also adopted a resolution about the danger of a new war, in which the party "considers the policy towards militarisation of Russian society to be criminal and irresponsible. The Yabloko party warns the Russian society that Vladimir Putin’s policy may lead to a new war in East Ukraine, new deaths, destruction of the system of international relations, ousting Russia into a historical dead end, and destruction of the country’s civilisational prospects. The Yabloko party believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin bears full political responsibility for the consequences of Russia’s militaristic foreign policies."

Click here for more information and to watch the sessions of the Congress.

Photo: Yabloko