RUSSIA: YABLOKO YAVLINSKY , LEADER OF OPPOSITION PARTY SAYS HE WILL NOT RUN FOR THE PRESIDENCY

Record ID: 584943

  • Title: RUSSIA: YABLOKO YAVLINSKY , LEADER OF OPPOSITION PARTY SAYS HE WILL NOT RUN FOR THE PRESIDENCY
  • Date: 21st December 2003
  • Summary: (U4) MOSCOW, RUSSIA (DECEMBER 21, 2003) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. WIDE OF HALL WITH YABLOKO PARTY CONGRESS IN SESSION 0.06 2. WIDE OF LEADER OF "YABLOKO" GRIGORY YAVLINSKY PRESIDING AND OTHER PARTY MEMBERS PRESIDING AT CONGRESS 0.12 3. VARIOUS OF AUDIENCE LISTENING (2 SHOTS) 0.21 4. SMV GRIGORY YAVLINSKY TALKING TO COLLEAGUES 0.30 5. WIDE OF CONGRESS 0.36 6. SLV GRIGORY YAVLINSKY APPROACHING JOURNALISTS 0.40 7. SMV MEDIA 0.44 8. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) GRIGORY YAVLINSKY, LEADER OF "YABLOKO", SAYING: "In conditions when there is no independent legal system, when there is no working federally and politically important mass media, in conditions when a party is unable to organise independent financing of its campaign and take part in the presidential elections, in these conditions political competition and fair elections are impossible. That's why the party will not present a candidate that will run for presidency. Besides the party thinks that the previous elections demonstrated unlimited use of administrative resources, there were many lawless acts during elections. We doubt the results of the elections and we are carrying out our own vote count. " 1.45 9. SCU MEDIA 1.51 10. SC U(SOUNDBITE) (Russian) GRIGORY YAVLINSKY, LEADER OF "YABLOKO" SAYING: "It has become clear that the creation of a one-party Duma in Russia is a very disturbing factor and can have grave consequences for the country." 2.10 11. WIDE OF YAVLINSKY WITH JOURNALISTS 2.19 (U4) MOSCOW, RUSSIA (RECENT) (RECENT - DECEMBER 7, 2003)(REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 12. SLV RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN ENTERING POLLING STATION AND REGISTERING 2.28 13. VARIOUS OF VLADIMIR PUTIN AND WIFE LYUDMILA SITTING DOWN AND HANDING OUT THEIR PASSPORTS FOR REGISTRATION 2.43 14. SLV PHOTOGRAPHERS 2.49 15. SLV PUTIN CASTING BALLOT 2.55 (U4) MOSCOW, RUSSIA (DECEMBER 11, 2003) (REUTERS-ACCESS ALL) 16. WIDE OF EXTERIOR OF DUMA BUILDING 3.01 17. WIDE OF RUSSIAN FLAG ON DUMA BUILDING 3.08 18. CLOSE OF RUSSIAN SYMBOL AND SIGN SAYING: "RUSSIAN STATE DUMA" 3.11 19. WIDE OF HALL WITH DEPUTIES 3.18 20. SLV YABLOKO PARTY LEADER GRIGORY YAVLINSKY TALKING TO DEPUTY 3.24 21. SLV COMMUNIST PARTY LEADER GENNADY ZYUGANOV, TALKING TO DEPUTY 3.31 22. SLV BORIS NEMTSOV, LEADER OF UNION OF RIGHT-WING FORCES, WALKING IN THE HALL AND SHAKING HANDS WITH COLLEAGUE 3.39 23. SLV PHOTOGRAPHER TAKING PICTURE 3.43 24. WIDE OF DUMA DEPUTIES POSING FOR PHOTO 3.51 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 5th January 2004 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
  • Country: Russia
  • Reuters ID: LVA304MPO6V6VCMV70G696PH0ZAV
  • Story Text: Leader of Russia's democratic opposition party says
    he will not run for presidency.




    Grigory Yavlinsky, leader of one of Russia's main
    liberal opposition parties, the Yabloko party, said on
    Sunday (December 21) his party was not going to run for the
    presidential elections on March 14.

    Yavlinsky, whose "Yabloko" party was holding a two-day
    congress, has said that in present political conditions
    holding fair presidential elections was impossible.

    "In conditions when there is no independent legal
    system, when there is no federally and politically
    important working mass media, in conditions when a party is
    unable to organise independent financing of its campaign
    and take part in the presidential elections, in these
    conditions political competition and fair elections are
    impossible," Grigory Yavlinsky told journalists after the
    congress.

    Earlier another political party, the Union of
    Right-Wing Forces, badly beaten in the recent parliamentary
    polls, said they would boycott the elections.

    The democratic opposition has said the state-controlled
    media was too obedient to Russian President Vladimir Putin
    and the liberal opposition stood no chance in elections.

    And so, they said, there was no reason to run.

    "That's why the party will not present a candidate that
    will run for presidency. Besides the party thinks that the
    previous elections demonstrated unlimited use of
    administrative resources, there were many lawless acts
    during elections. We doubt the results of the elections and
    we are carrying out our own vote count,"
    said Yavlinsky.

    Pro-Putin factions swept to power in a December 7 vote
    to the State Duma lower house of parliament. The Kremlin
    now holds a majority in the chamber that could allow it to
    alter the Russian constitution.

    The overwhelmingly popular Putin used a national
    television address to announce Thursday that he would run
    again.

    "It has become clear that the creation of a one-party
    Duma in Russia is a very disturbing factor and can have
    grave consequences," said Grigory Yavlinsky.

    Both Union of Right-Wing Forces (SPS) and Yabloko lost
    most of their Duma seats and there are less than a dozen of
    their representatives in the 450-seat chamber.

    They had argued for years over joining forces -- both
    being the emblems of the post-Soviet struggle to introduce
    Western economic reforms and introduce new values on human
    rights -- but have failed.







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