Remember, in my post I wrote about what needs to be done to defend political prisoners:
- right now, we need to elect deputies who will stand up for these political prisoners and push for their release.
A lot of people snickered back then: “Yeah, right, as if they will.”
But just read the first statement by the newly elected deputies. So far it has not 20 names, but 13 — the entire Communist Party faction (CPRF) signed it in full (Yabloko and A Just Russia are still considering it, but I have no doubt they will sign as well). At this point, it is more a matter of communication. There are no factions yet, no inter-faction communication, no people coordinating things. And besides, deputies are deputies. They like editing documents rather than signing them right away.
In any case, it is extremely important that the first statement focused on political repression, freedom of assembly, fair elections, and corruption.
That means going to vote was not in vain.
STATEMENT by the elected deputies of the Moscow City Duma
We, the elected deputies of the Moscow City Duma, thank Muscovites, our voters, for their support and the trust they have placed in us. We are ready to work for the good of our city and to defend the interests of our fellow citizens.
The authorities’ long-standing disregard for the interests of city residents led to the elections to the capital’s parliament taking place amid a serious political crisis. The actions of officials serving the interests of corrupt actors and oligarchs, along with attempts to manipulate the electoral process, led to mass protests by Muscovites. Many peaceful citizens who took part in street demonstrations are still being prosecuted.
We believe that the new Moscow City Duma must rise above attempts to settle scores with protesters and stand in defense of citizens’ constitutional rights, including the right to freedom of assembly and rallies.
We demand:
That Valentin Gorbunov, chairman of the Moscow City Election Commission, be dismissed for serious violations committed during the conduct of the elections and the tabulation of the vote. The current composition of the Moscow City Election Commission does not meet the standard required to conduct fair and open elections; its activities must be subjected to a public and thorough investigation, and the commission must be reconstituted.
Immediately end the criminal and administrative prosecution of citizens in cases involving “mass unrest,” “extremism,” “violations of the rules for holding public events,” and other alleged offenses said to have occurred during the Moscow protests in the summer of 2019. Release all citizens unlawfully arrested in these cases. We will fight for their release. It is time for the authorities to stop political repression. Annul the results of “electronic voting.” The experiment of introducing it should be признized as a complete failure, and the anomalous results declared invalid. Data on turnout, its distribution over time, and the results of “electronic voting” clearly indicate that it amounted to nothing more than ballot stuffing.
Investigate the information published in the media about corruption in Moscow and federal government bodies, which received wide public attention during the election campaign.
We call on all elected deputies of the Moscow City Duma to join this statement and support our struggle for clean and open government. We are convinced that the new composition of the capital’s parliament must use every opportunity to develop democratic institutions, including by strengthening the Duma’s real influence over the situation in Moscow.