Watching through reports, live streams, and little photos on social media, I’m seeing a wonderful new political phenomenon.
People go to the polling station and decide who should be included, on their behalf, in the opposition’s pre-election list.
That is how the RPR-PARNAS list is being formed in Novosibirsk Region. Candidates nominate themselves freely and campaign as best they can. Voters come and cast their ballots for whoever seems the most convincing.
How else should lists be formed? I don’t know any better way than free competition. There is no predictable outcome here, but there is also no selling of places on the list, no instructions from Moscow, no takeovers of regional party branches, and none of the other things that have for years turned ordinary people away from elections and from participating in politics at all.
If we are people of democratic convictions and claim to unite around us everyone who shares those views, then the best way forward is to start with ourselves and use democratic procedures.
I’m very glad that Novosibirsk will have the first truly people’s pre-election list.
Today is the second (and final) day of voting.
Polling stations are open from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. local time. If you registered as a voter earlier, just come to any polling station with your passport and phone.
If you did not register as a voter, you can be registered today directly at the polling station in the campaign headquarters: 77B Krasny Prospekt, 7th floor. Entrance from the Krasny Prospekt side, at the end of the building. You must have a passport with registration in Novosibirsk Region.
Addresses of the other polling stations: 266A Bogatkova Street, Office 33a, 3rd floor, entrance from the side of the Gorizont cinema Berdsk, 12a Sverdlova Street, office with a separate entrance from Sverdlova Street 22 Karl Marx Prospekt — veranda of the Kofemolka café Akademgorodok, 4 Ilyicha Street — veranda of the Traveller's Coffee café.