posted by zaina19 on November, 2006 as Human Rights
From: MSN NicknameEagle_wng (Original Message) Sent: 11/30/2006 2:09 PM 30.11.2006 09:28 MSK ”Down with Elections without Choice!” RUSSIA, Moscow. On November 23 a protest was held against the abolition of minimum turnout requirements for elections and the against the banning of criticism of candidates during election campaigns. Youth Yabloko leader Ilya Yashin and Da! (Yes!) movement coordinator Maria Gaidar used mountain climbing equipment to hang a ten-meter-long sign from Bolshoi Kamenny Bridge with a message for the Kremlin. “Give elections back to the people, scum!”
The Russian State Duma passed the amendments to elections law that were the subject of that unauthorized protest on November 17.
According to the press service of the Yabloko Party, about 20 Youth Yabloko members chanted “Russia without Putin” and “Down with elections without choice” on Sofiiskaya Embankment in Moscow.
Protesters handed out a statement signed by Yashin and Gaidar entitled “Give elections back to the people, scum!” which reads in part “The State Duma has adopted amendments that eliminate the minimum voter turnout. Now Russian authorities can be elected, for example, by Putin and his two daughters, and that will be a legitimate election. Moreover, from now on it is forbidden to criticize parties’ of candidates’ programs or ‘form a negative image’ of an opponent. Most likely, mayoral elections will be completely replaced by the practice of appointment in the near future. It can already be said that the system of free elections in the country has practically been eliminated.
The time has come to admit that it is impossible to participate in these elections. We urge all opposition political forces to declare a boycott of 2007 elections immediately. There can only be a question of participating in elections if elections legislation is greatly liberalized.
“Down with elections without choice!”
Some time after the beginning of the action, police took into custody Gazeta.ru correspondent Ilya Barabanov, Novaya gazeta correspondent Ilya Vasyunin and Internet publication “Panorama of Modern Politics” correspondent Igor Yakovlev. Yakovlev told the PRIMA correspondent that they explained to the police that they were from the press, but were detained any way. They were held in a police station in a room with a portrait of Vladimir Putin on the wall. Yashin and Gaidar were brought in to the same station over an hour later. Yashin and Gaidar were charged with misdemeanors and all were released. The journalists were not given any explanation for their detainment.
PRIMA News Agency [2006-11-23-Rus-07] http://www.prima-news.ru/eng/news/news/2006/11/30/37200.html
Acknowledgement: All available information and documents in "Justice For North Caucasus Group" is provided for the "fair use". There should be no intention for ill-usage of any sort of any published item for commercial purposes and in any way or form. JFNC is a nonprofit group and has no intentions for the distribution of information for commercial or advantageous gain. At the same time consideration is ascertained that all different visions, beliefs, presentations and opinions will be presented to visitors and readers of all message boards of this site. Providing, furnishing, posting and publishing the information of all sources is considered a right to freedom of opinion, speech, expression, and information while at the same time does not necessarily reflect, represent, constitute, or comprise the stand or the opinion of this group. If you have any concerns contact us directly at:
eagle@JusticeForNorthCaucasus.com
