Campaign newspaper “Time to Choose”

2018.navalny.com

NAVALNY 20!8

Time to choose

Report on the first half of the election campaign → 2

Navalny on the army, corruption, the Russian Orthodox Church, and lustration → 3

Putin and Medvedev are taking Russia off the oil needle → 4

Yachts, palaces, and planes of Russian officials → 6

Alexei Navalny — a Russian politician, lawyer, and founder of the Anti-Corruption Foundation — will run for president of Russia in 2018. He is launching a campaign to gain access to the election, in which the winner should be determined not by administrative leverage, but by the will of the voters.

A time of discoveries

02.2017: 3 headquarters

The first headquarters opened on February 4 in St. Petersburg, the second on February 18 in Novosibirsk, and the third on February 25 in Yekaterinburg. Traveling to the openings of the first headquarters, Alexei Navalny had the chance not only to answer volunteers’ questions and give several in-depth interviews, but also to see the city. For example, in Yekaterinburg he managed to visit the Yeltsin Center (a museum and public center dedicated to Russia’s first president, Boris Yeltsin) and, in the company of Mayor Yevgeny Roizman, go to the Museum of the Nevyansk Icon.

03.2017: 13 headquarters

Then came the stage of major tours, when over a single weekend Alexei managed to attend the openings of three or four headquarters — and there was no longer any time for sightseeing. The first major tour went through the Volga region: headquarters in Samara, Ufa, Kazan, and Nizhny Novgorod were opened in 4 days — on March 3, 4, 5, and 6. In Kazan, the meeting with volunteers had to be held in two shifts, because everyone who wanted to speak with Alexei could not fit inside and lined up at the entrance to the building. And the meeting with residents of Nizhny Novgorod took place right on the city’s main street.

The campaign to secure Alexei Navalny’s access to the 2018 presidential election has now been going on for six months. During this time, we have opened 51 headquarters — exactly 51 more than all the other presidential candidates combined.

51 opened headquarters — exactly 51 more than all the other presidential candidates combined.

04.2017: 26 headquarters

From April 7 to 9, headquarters were opened in 4 southern Russian cities — Voronezh, Rostov-on-Don, Krasnodar, and Stavropol. The headquarters coordinators...

Navalny answers

Over the past five months, Alexei Navalny has held dozens of press conferences and answered hundreds of questions asked at meetings with volunteers. The Russian Orthodox Church, corruption, migrants, small business, lustration, and the army — we have collected his answers to the most popular questions.

What will your first steps be after coming to power?

First: I will begin judicial reform. Without it, nothing can be changed. There must be a place people can turn to, and the courts must judge fairly. Second: introducing a law on illicit enrichment, under which officials will be required to explain where their money came from. Third: the release of political prisoners.

Russia’s oil needle

Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev regularly declare that Russia needs to fight its dependence on oil and promise to do everything possible to achieve this. But nothing changes — Russians’ prosperity still depends directly on oil prices.

The laws of a commodity economy

The share of hydrocarbons in Russia’s GDP, exports, and federal budget continues to grow. For the past 17 years, Russia has operated according to all the rules of a commodity economy: in 1999, oil production in Russia amounted to 295 million tons, and by 2016 it had reached a record level of 547.499 million tons. In 1999, the share of budget revenues from oil exports was only 18%, but by 2014 it had already exceeded 50%, and that is without counting “pass-through” revenues — for example, VAT, duties, and excise taxes on imports purchased with oil dollars.

Putin, 14.06.2005:

“Effective use of natural wealth is far from a sufficient condition for sustainable economic growth.”

Putin, 04.03.2011:

“No matter how the situation develops on global markets, one thing is obvious to us: Russia must move away from dependence on raw materials.”

Medvedev, 21.02.2013:

“We need to get away from this dependence, or at least reach a point where only a quarter of our income is formed by oil and gas supplies.”

Putin, 28.09.2016:

“We must continue the course toward reducing the federal budget’s dependence on oil prices.”

They can never steal enough

In April 2016, Forbes magazine published its latest ranking of Russia’s richest people. The country’s youngest billionaire, with a fortune of $1.2 billion, was 34-year-old Kirill Shamalov. He is the son of Nikolai Shamalov, a friend of Vladimir Putin who, together with the future president, co-founded the Ozero dacha cooperative in the 1990s. In 2015, Reuters reported that Kirill Shamalov was the husband of Putin’s younger daughter, Katerina.

The success story of the young billionaire disproves the well-known phrase, “At least these people have already stolen enough — the new ones will only start stealing.” No, they have not stolen enough and never will. Not only have they themselves acquired a third palace when they already have two. They also have brothers, sisters, wives, sons-in-law, and nephews who become billionaires, take positions in state-owned companies, and earn millions from government contracts.

This state of affairs can be fixed. But to do that, it is not enough simply to replace the president or the prime minister — the entire system must be changed. Theft will stop only when there are independent investigators, courts, legislators, and media. They must be capable of investigating and convicting even the president or his friends.

Yachts, Palaces, and Planes

The Anti-Corruption Foundation created by Alexei Navalny is the only organization in the country seriously engaged in exposing top-ranking officials. Here is a brief overview of the property owned by Russia’s most senior state officials, whose value far exceeds their official incomes.

Igor Shuvalov

First Deputy Prime Minister

Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov owns a 4,174 m² house in Austin, a house in Austria, an apartment in London, and a palatial apartment in an elite district of Moscow. According to various estimates, the total value of these assets exceeds 1 billion rubles.

Dmitry Medvedev

Prime Minister of the Russian Federation

In 2008, shortly after being elected president, Dmitry Medvedev visited Plyos, and he liked it very much there. A few years later, Medvedev acquired a country residence at the Mikhailovka estate worth tens of millions of rubles. Everything visible in the media space shows that today’s authorities are far from poor.

For the past 17 years, Russia has operated under the rules of a resource-based economy.

According to the Federal Customs Service, oil and gas revenues in 2011 increased by $42.7 billion compared with 2010, reaching $171.7 billion. At the same time, the average global price of oil remained relatively high. This money could have been spent on building roads and hospitals, investing in infrastructure, education, and healthcare, if we had a normal system of government administration.

The national idea is to live better

Russian citizens should live more comfortably and more prosperously. This is a simple national idea, and the one people need most. The world will begin to respect us and our country when the average monthly wage reaches at least 100,000 rubles.

Speak up, and you will be heard

In today’s Russia, the only way to secure the fulfillment of political demands is to take to the streets and state them openly. A vivid example is the rallies in Novosibirsk against increases in housing and utilities tariffs, as well as the nationwide anti-corruption protests “He Is Not Dimon to You” (a reference to Dmitry Medvedev’s nickname), which drew hundreds of thousands of people in 160 cities across the country.

What Alexei Navalny proposes

It is time to choose: justice for everyone, not the arbitrariness of the security services.

It is time to choose: fighting corruption, not accepting theft.

It is time to choose: trusting people, not deciding everything in Moscow.

It is time to choose: a decent life for everyone, not wealth for the 0.1%.

It is time to choose: hospitals and roads, not officials’ palaces.

It is time to choose: economic development, not political isolation.

How to support Alexei Navalny

Add your signature for his nomination

Alexei Navalny will run in the presidential election as an independent candidate. By law, to be registered he must collect 315,000 signatures in 42 regions. No more than 7,500 signatures can be submitted from any one region or republic. To solve this difficult task, campaign headquarters collect in advance the contact details of people willing to support Navalny. After the official start of the campaign, we will invite everyone to the headquarters to sign the official form. If you are ready to support Alexei Navalny, register at 2018.navalny.com.

Support the campaign financially

Navalny is supported by ordinary Russian citizens. No oligarchs or crafty officials stand behind him. The Anti-Corruption Foundation he founded exists thanks to small donations from thousands of people. Funds for the public campaign supporting Alexei Navalny’s presidential bid are also being raised by ordinary people. More than 45,000 payments have already been received. You can contribute to the campaign supporting Navalny using a card from any Russian bank. For more information on how to donate, visit 2018.navalny.com.

Come help as a volunteer

The campaign is organized by the headquarters, but its main driving force is its volunteers. Thousands of volunteers hand out newspapers, distribute leaflets through apartment building entrances, and campaign at street information stands. The headquarters values any help and welcomes both those who want to campaign for several weeks in a row and those who can spare just five minutes a day. If you would like to help the campaign as a volunteer, register at 2018.navalny.com or come to a Navalny headquarters office in your city. The addresses of open headquarters offices and their opening hours can also be found on the website.

Spread the word online

Most television channels are now controlled either directly by the state, by state-owned companies, or by people close to the president. It is not in their interest for television to report on officials’ corrupt schemes, so Navalny is kept off the air. Help overcome censorship and spread information about Navalny online: send your friends links to investigations, subscribe to Navalny’s YouTube channel. Together we will prove that the internet is stronger than censorship.

Alexei Navalny’s film “He Is Not Dimon to You” made people think about their rights and take to the streets.

Help us print an additional run of this newspaper

Alexei Navalny’s political campaign is the most visible and largest in Russia. In the country’s modern history, no candidate or political party has operated on such a scale or so effectively. In six months, we opened 70 campaign offices in different regions, found premises, coordinators, and lawyers for each of them, and ensured the delivery of newspapers, leaflets, and stickers.

The cost of printing one copy of the newspaper is 1 ruble 20 kopecks. You can help us print an additional run. To do this, go to 2018.navalny.com and send us an amount sufficient to print a certain number of copies. 120 rubles for 100 copies, 1,200 rubles for 1,000, and so on.

Our next major goal is 5 million copies, enough for all regions of Russia where Alexei Navalny has supporters. We are confident that with your help, we will achieve this very quickly.

Navalny Answers — (interview excerpts and answers to questions)

Alexei Navalny at the opening of the Moscow campaign office © Evgeny Feldman

Over the past five months, Alexei Navalny has held dozens of press conferences and answered hundreds of questions asked at meetings with volunteers. The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), corruption, migrants, small business, lustration, and the army — we have collected his answers to the most popular of them.

How can corruption be fought?

Corruption can be defeated only by completely changing the system of government: independent courts, investigative bodies, free media, and anti-corruption laws. Real people must be held accountable for corruption, and illegally acquired property must be confiscated.

What should be done about military service?

Short-term service in today’s Russia is, in essence, a punishment for the poor. Those who serve are mostly people from villages and those who do not have the money to buy their way out. Everything shows that a professional contract army is better than conscription. We have examples of contract armies working better and more effectively, and this should be introduced gradually.

What has dependence on oil led to?

In 2014, oil prices fell to $99 per barrel, and by December a crisis had erupted in Russia. The following year, oil continued to get cheaper and remained a source of macroeconomic shocks for our country.

Roads, wages, hospitals, and housing and utilities — the results of the current government’s work in four figures:

27% — the share of Russian citizens who said they were unable to pay for housing and utility services in 2016

5,300 — the number of hospitals closed in Russia from 2000 to 2015

123rd place — Russia’s position in the global road quality ranking, alongside Sierra Leone and Lebanon

19.8 million people — the number of people living below the poverty line, with incomes below the subsistence minimum of 9,691 rubles

Who steals in Russia

Children of senior prosecutors own business empires built through corporate raiding, illegal privatization, and connections in the prosecutor’s office. People who say, “Nothing can be changed here, we are doomed,” are wrong and insult our country. We can and must live better.

For the past 17 years, Russia has existed under the laws of a raw-materials economy.

The rise and consolidation of the current government took place in parallel with the growth of global oil prices; in 2001, the average annual oil price reached $24, and by 2005 it had risen to $55. In 2011, the average annual oil price reached a historic maximum of $115.22 per barrel and remained at a high level until December 2014.

Yachts, palaces, and planes (continued)

Sergei Shoigu — Minister of Defense

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu’s house in Barvikha, registered in his wife’s name, is valued at 1.2 billion rubles. The land on which the house stands also belongs to the family.

Yury Chaika — Prosecutor General

Prosecutor General Yury Chaika’s sons, Artyom and Igor Chaika, have assets and business structures abroad, raising questions about conflicts of interest and transparency.

Dmitry Peskov — Press Secretary to the President of the Russian Federation

Dmitry Peskov, the president’s press secretary, owns real estate and assets that have attracted public attention and raised questions about the origin of the funds.

The national idea is to live better (continued)

We must make it so that, for the first time in Russia’s history, people can spend money, buy homes, and travel abroad.

Our country has everything needed for this: oil, gas, timber, territory, and human capital. Countries with far fewer natural resources live much better. Why is that? Because they manage their opportunities far more effectively, and their rulers respect their people. Their prime minister does not build himself country estates worth tens of millions of dollars while 20 million people in his country live below the poverty line. Their deputy prime ministers do not fly dogs to shows on private jets worth $50 million. The children of their senior prosecutors do not own business empires built through corporate raiding, illegal privatization, and connections in the prosecutor’s office.

Speak, and you will be heard (continued)

In April 2017, the governor of the Novosibirsk Region canceled a planned 15% increase in utility and housing service rates. He was forced to do so by seven protest rallies held in the city, each drawing more and more people. People did not stay silent: they organized themselves and got results—the increase was canceled one day before the next rally. This is exactly how civil society in Russia works and intends to keep working: the fight against corruption, fair courts, and a higher standard of living will begin when we learn to demand them and fight for them.

A brief overview of the assets of senior officials

The Anti-Corruption Foundation conducted investigations and published information about real estate, yachts, and aircraft belonging to people in the inner circle of top state officials. These investigations sparked broad public attention and encouraged people to take to the streets.

How to support the campaign — contact information

Register at 2018.navalny.com to receive instructions on joining a campaign office, making donations, and participating in volunteer initiatives. Addresses of open campaign offices and their hours are available on the website.

How to support Alexei Navalny (continued)

Sign in support of the nomination — detailed instructions are available on the website.

Support the campaign financially — payment details and donation methods are available on the website.

Come help as a volunteer — registration and campaign office addresses are available on the website.

Spread the word online — subscribe to the YouTube channel and share the investigations.

Photo credits and captions

© Evgeny Feldman — Alexei Navalny at the opening of the campaign office in Moscow © photoxpress.ru — illustrations of properties and yachts © Dmitry Dyachkov / Kommersant — photographs of officials © Alexander Krieger — volunteers with the newspaper “It’s Time to Choose”