The speaker thanked the campaign headquarters and volunteers for what he described as an unprecedented election campaign in Russian politics, built on volunteer work and small private donations. He emphasized that they had managed to raise about 100 million rubles, 70% of it from small contributions, and said this proved that independent politicians and citizens willing to support them do exist in Russia, despite pressure, restricted access to television, and attempts to cut off funding. He also criticized Vladimir Putin’s statements about fighting corruption, noted that Russia’s agenda would remain focused on domestic problems, and said that on 08/06 he expected the successful campaign to continue, while the next day he would hold a major press conference.
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Thank you very much, friends. I just stopped by for literally
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a couple of minutes at headquarters, because as I understand it, this is
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the last briefing with
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the foreign press that we are holding.
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Apparently,
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apparently. I understand that all journalists tomorrow,
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probably the foreign journalists, will leave for
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the summit and will be covering other events.
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Although, judging by what happened today,
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the Kremlin’s main media weapon was deployed—
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Vladimir Putin himself, who once again
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spoke and talked about how, in order
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to compete for certain positions,
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you need to be absolutely impeccable; in order
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to fight corruption, you need
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to be absolutely impeccable. Judging by that,
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that is precisely why no one is fighting corruption
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in the Kremlin. We understand that the real
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agenda of the Russian delegation, even at
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this summit, will still
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remain mentally in Moscow. I just
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wanted once again, here before you all,
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to thank the headquarters team, which has worked wonderfully.
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I am sure it will continue to work through these
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last days and the two weeks of the second round.
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What we have already done is completely
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unprecedented
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for Russian politics. We have run
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an election campaign that was entirely
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based on volunteers. We did not
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use any paid
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political consultants or paid workers. We raised an
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unprecedented and unexpected—for
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everyone—amount of money, and 70% of that
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money, 70% of 100 million rubles (about 1 million USD), we received
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through genuinely very small donations—
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100, 200, 500, 1,000 rubles. This is an important thing
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that speaks to the main point: in Russia, there can
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exist independent political
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organizations, despite the ban on access to
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television, despite attempts
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to block all financial resources,
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despite administrative pressure. In
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Russia, there are independent politicians and
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citizens who are ready to support
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independent politicians, and I think that this
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is already irreversible. It is already like toothpaste
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that you can never squeeze back into the tube.
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And Russia already—
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the political system in Russia will never
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be the same again. Unfortunately, after this
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short speech, I have to leave you,
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because right now, as you yourselves
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understand, in these final days of the election
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campaign, they are waiting for me at headquarters, in our
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second part of headquarters—they are waiting for me at the
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volunteer headquarters. Time is very tight; we need
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to do a great many things. Tomorrow I am holding
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a major press conference at which
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I will be glad to see all of you who do not
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leave for this summit, and I will
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answer your questions in more detail. Thank you very much.
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Once again, I want
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to thank Leonid and all the rest of
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the headquarters team, who have already worked a miracle, and I am sure
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that on the eighth we will see a continuation
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of these wonderful events. Thank you
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very much. L