Mayoral Campaign Newspaper

OUR MAYOR NAVALNY

Campaign newspaper of Moscow mayoral candidate Alexei Navalny. The Moscow mayoral election will take place on September 8, 2013

YOU ARE THE POWER HERE

The elections are rigged. My vote decides nothing. We are deceived again. Familiar phrases? They are what keep us stuck in problems and queues, afraid of migrants and forced to endure the rudeness of officials of every rank. They are the best friends of the current Moscow authorities. They do not know how, and do not like, to work, but present everything as if there were no alternative to them. Alexei Navalny will become the mayor who solves Moscow's main problems.

I am an unusual candidate. Together with my wife Yulia, I live in Maryino, not in an official apartment in the center of Moscow. My son Zakhar goes to kindergarten, and my daughter Dasha studies at a district school, not an elite lyceum. Every day I go to work along the perpetually jammed Volgogradsky Prospekt. I differ from my neighbors in exactly one way. Five years ago I got tired of waiting. I got tired of waiting for officials to stop lying and stealing. And I began to work.

I founded "RosPil," which prevents restless officials from buying luxury cars and furniture with budget money. In less than three years, my work helped prevent the use of budget funds amounting to more than billions of rubles.

To fight absurd utility charges, my team and I came up with "RosZhKH." With its help, tens of thousands of people achieved recalculation of fees and cancellation of illegal utility charges, repair of the heating system, and resolution of other communal problems.

To improve the roads, we created "RosYama." Thanks to it, tens of thousands of drivers across the country were able to get roads repaired on highways and in courtyards.

Now thousands of people help me, most of them completely free of charge. They want to live in a clean and honest city, without fearing for the health and future of their children.

By combining these efforts, we win. Sociological surveys show: it is precisely opposition-minded responses, precisely fresh ideas, that often add success where more experienced representatives have failed.

SOBYANIN'S DAUGHTER'S APARTMENT COSTS 173 MILLION p. 6-7

How to SOLVE MOSCOW'S PROBLEMS p. 4-5

THE RULE OF THE WORTHY, NOT THE LOYAL

Moscow should be governed by professionals, not opportunists, Alexei Navalny is convinced.

The main thing is selecting people on the basis of open and fair competitions, and the professionals will be found, Alexei Navalny believes. This is the fundamental difference from the “tough хозяйственники,” for whom there will always be a relative, a classmate, or an in-law from some old cooperative for every position. The mayoral candidate shared with us his approach to forming the future city administration.

Who is on your team and who will help run the election campaign? These are people who share my principle of “not lying and not stealing.” They are energetic and caring professionals who are changing life in our country, rejecting the principles of clannishness, nepotism, or mutual cover-up. They are all very different. Among them are specialists in urban studies, municipal deputies, experts in public utilities, and managers of large companies. And in general, all my supporters are my team.

And what about the prefectures and district administrations? Where will you find honest officials? We will announce public competitions for the posts of prefects and heads of district administrations — and we will cover them publicly. I am sure: 85% of them are normal, decent people who do not take bribes, and they have sufficiently high salaries. We will not have to drag people into these positions by the ears. But when forming the team, I will stick to the principle: if you stole something, you will be fired. They will differ radically from the current system: steal, skim, loot — the main thing is to maintain political loyalty, hang the right portrait, keep quiet, and kick back.

Whom will you appoint to positions in the city administration? As for politically designated posts in the mayor’s office, I will name them before the second round, which I will definitely reach. However, when I meet with voters, they do not demand specific names. The principle by which appointments will be made is what matters to them. It is simple. For key positions, we will hold public competitions. As a result, Muscovites will be able to see the selection criteria and monitor the appointments.

For key positions, we will hold public competitions.

The principle of transparency and openness will be observed, and the rule of the worthy, not the rule of the loyal, as now, will be established.

You do not need to make an effort to run a tactic with the help of a metropolis like Moscow? Whatever it takes, better than Sobyanin! Only those who fear for their own positions talk about how working in the metro requires gigantic experience and some kind of perverse professionalism. The city has existed for thousands of years. Everyone understands how to govern it. I, for example, already know how to solve Moscow’s main problems. With housing and utilities, for example, I am ready to sort it out within a year. But the problems will have to be dealt with all the time. Yet all of this is absolutely solvable.

Who else will help you? Municipal deputies. There is nothing simpler in the world than the system of local self-government. These people understand the problems of every house and entrance better. Do you know how much of the enormous Moscow budget is allocated at the municipal level? One percent! Can such a system work effectively? It is some kind of freak, approaching development issues with Putin’s pike and tiny legs. Such a city hall cannot move forward! Money and authority must be given to the local level. The authorities should tell Moscow residents how to live, and not just distribute money.

GENEROUS IN SPIRIT

The actions of these volunteers help Alexei Navalny. They see in him a person who will change Moscow for the better.

DMITRY RADKOVSKY, 25 years old. Head of game development for social networks. I have been following Alexei’s activities since 2010. He has never disappointed: his motives are always honest and understandable, he is ready to accept mistakes and consequences for his words and actions. People are not perfect, and politicians are no exception. However, I am convinced that in the 2013 Moscow mayoral election he formulated the strategy absolutely correctly — came and voted for Alexei Navalny.

NATALYA GOLDNIKOVA, 56 years old. Retired; before that she worked as a schoolteacher. I sympathize with Alexei very much! He has had to endure a great deal of uncertainty in his life, but at the same time he is very sincere and straightforward. I really like that he managed to become closer to people. The volunteers are all different, but everyone understands that such injustice must not continue any longer. Russia must turn this into a normal state.

NATALYA PUSHAKEVA, 24 years old. A postgraduate student at Moscow State University, working as a research associate. I am tired of what is happening in my country, but I do not want to leave in any way or go anywhere. I love Russia and want my future children and grandchildren to live here, and not amid the current carousel of countries.

ZOYA FEDULOVA, 41 years old. A logistics specialist at a company that deals with equipment for stadiums. I really want to believe that what Alexei says about himself truly corresponds to reality. The main thing that attracts me is that he is not going to prove anything to anyone. I am like that too. We both love our homeland and, despite possible setbacks, remain here. The choice of residents is warmth and a friendly atmosphere.

WHY NAVALNY WILL WIN

From morning till evening, Muscovites continue on all their channels that the mayor of Moscow must first and foremost be attentive to people. Sociology is convinced that this is not true.

Let's look at the facts. Sobyanin has no personal rating. He is merely an official appointed by Putin, with no заслуг before Moscow and Muscovites. Sociologists' studies showed: Sobyanin is supported by the very same people as Putin.

Yes, there is a small group of Muscovites who supported the propaganda. Are they ready to steal, that you survive as head of the administration? Kogalym residents are an independent political figure. But there are few of them. The core of Sobyanin's electorate is people who voted for Putin and "United Russia." There are no signs that he has gone beyond these narrow limits.

In 2011, Moscow was covered with portraits and Sobyanin's campaigning for "United Russia," and they received, according to final independent experts, 35%. And Putin received in March 2012, with the maximum support of administrative resources, a modest 46%. The possibilities of this electorate are almost exhausted.

What distinguishes this mayoral election from the previous ones? The rating bar is low, morally. The names of the candidates in the first round are very important. Slogans will appear that will prompt new people; they will not call on them. A second round is inevitable if the authorities do not use administrative resources to the fullest.

It is completely unclear where the additional votes for Sobyanin in these elections will come from. The situation in the city is only getting worse. Prices have become higher. Traffic jams are long and lengthy. The number of illegal migrants has increased. Another increase in housing and utility tariffs has occurred. This means that Muscovites will choose the one who offers them new ways of solving the old friction, that is, Navalny, and not Sobyanin.

LOVE AND SACRIFICE

If you think that a supporter of Alexei Navalny is exclusively young people, you are deeply mistaken. It turns out that mothers and grandmothers—women aged 45–69—give the most money. The average size of their donation is about seven thousand rubles. The collected money goes to the cause: they organize meetings with voters, distribute printed materials, and train volunteers.

Alexei N. How I will solve Muscovites' problem

All of us are concerned about the same things: traffic jams, high prices for food and utilities, illegal migrants, and poor healthcare. Most of these problems are solved in a few elementary steps, namely simple political will. They are simple, clear, and easy to implement, and I invite you to familiarize yourself with them.

Illegal migration

By the number of illegal migrants, Moscow occupies one of the leading places in the world. Their labor goes cheaply to employers, including city structures. The illegal hiring of migrants means that all labor law norms are violated and often pushes them into crime. This is evident: in the illegal labor market they earn from 20 to 160 billion rubles every month.

1. I will make sure that companies fulfilling municipal contracts do not use the labor of migrants who do not have the right to work. Right now, unfortunately, officials and contractors hire illegal migrants for pennies, and put the budget funds they save into their own pockets. In such a case, the violator must be punished — with fines and termination of contracts with district administrations. I will pay special attention to the municipal services sector, construction, and various trade businesses — that is where migrants are used most often.

2. I will submit a proposal to the State Duma and the Government to restrict migration and introduce a visa regime with the countries of Central Asia. The Moscow mayor's office does not have the authority to restrict migrants' entry into the city, but we can raise this issue before the federal authorities.

3. I will create centers for educating the children of migrants, where they will be helped to learn Russian and adapt to Moscow schools. Thanks to this support, children will be able to study normally, communicate with their peers, and learn the norms of behavior in our society.

4. I will strengthen the work of law enforcement agencies in areas where migrants live. It is no secret that, failing to find their place in society, some migrants turn to crime. When I become mayor, I will take tough measures to combat ethnic crime. I will make sure that employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Federal Migration Service strictly monitor compliance with the law in these areas and regularly report on the work carried out.

5. I will require the management of municipal enterprises to publish all staffing schedules and salaries in open access. This will help enterprises understand that illegal migrants are being hired for lower wages than those allocated for paying official employees.

TRAFFIC JAMS

Residents of our city lose an average of 16 days a year in traffic jams. And after all, this is precious time in our lives that we could spend with our family, doing what we love, or simply resting. Officials only throw up their hands; our problems do not concern them, because they themselves live in separate districts and drive past the problems in oncoming lanes. But for me, this is one of the main tasks that I will solve throughout the entire term of office.

I will eliminate illegal parking lots. The streets of the city are filled with illegally parked cars. Moreover, many state and municipal enterprises illegally seize territories in front of their buildings for parking. Solving this problem is easy: all that is needed is strong political will, which the current authorities lack.

I will deal with paid parking. Politicians of the current government solve this problem exclusively in their own favor. The existing paid parking system works poorly, since the authorities have effectively withdrawn from it. To solve this problem, it is enough to force the traffic police to fulfill their duties.

PROVEN EXPERIENCE

Novice mayors often end up managing large cities better than “tough хозяйственники.” The mayor of a city is a political position. He should not inspect markets and iaspечатать on camera the unsightly aspects of projects. His task is to assemble a professional management team that will build a system for solving urban problems.

Examples from major metropolitan areas show that a bold mayor with fresh ideas often succeeds where his more experienced predecessors failed.

WHY NAVALNY WILL WIN (continued)

Let us consider the personal rating and how it compares with Sobyanin’s rating. Sobyanin effectively has no personal rating. He is an appointee and has the support of real groups of Muscovites. Examples from the regions and other cities show that a new, energetic, and honest mayor often carries out reforms faster and more effectively.

THEY LOVE AND DONATE (continued)

The money raised goes to the cause: paying for the printing of newspapers and leaflets, renting premises for meetings, supporting headquarters, and recruiting volunteers. In just the first four weeks of fundraising, Navalny managed to attract about 40 million rubles. This is a considerable amount, but as is well known, there is never too much money. The donors were fairly honest people living all across Russia, since the law prohibits financing municipal campaigns from other regions of the Russian Federation.

ILLEGAL MIGRATION (continued)

Illegal migrants are willing to work for pennies. This plays into officials’ hands.

HIGH HOUSING AND UTILITIES TARIFFS

Since August 1, 2013, utility services in Moscow have once again become more expensive. This time, by almost 10% on average. We could, of course, understand this if the situation in the city improved with the смена градоначальников. However, prices continue to rise under Sobyanin, just as they did under Luzhkov. And the quality of the services provided is not improving. To stop price growth, it is enough to substantiate and hold utility providers accountable.

1. I will conduct an audit of housing and utility service companies and providers that is independent of them. We will understand who works efficiently and who wastes residents’ money. This measure will help uncover collusion among management companies. A list of suspicious companies will be published, and proven facts of crimes will be prosecuted criminally.

2. I will inform residents about their rights, for example, the possibility of choosing a management company themselves. This will force utility providers to do their job properly. It is clear that it is usually difficult for an ordinary person to understand all the legal intricacies. For this reason, we will prepare qualified assistance on this issue.

3. I will change the current situation, when most Muscovites do not understand who and how carries out major repairs of their buildings. And yet we all pay for this every month. Acceptance of completed work will be carried out only by a general meeting of residents. If residents are not satisfied with the quality of the repairs, the contractor will be obliged to eliminate all defects.

EXPENSIVE HEALTHCARE

Why is everything so expensive? Because officials are constantly demanding bribes. Shops and restaurants raise prices so that they can then pay them off. And you, Muscovites, pay for it. That is how it turns out that Moscow is one of the most expensive cities in the world.

I will break up the criminal alliance of builders and officials. This can only be done by a person not connected with the current authorities and incapable of being corrupted. This will be someone who abandons the “old ways” and starts working honestly.

INEFFICIENT HEALTHCARE

Getting free medical care is a real ordeal. First you need to find your doctor. Then stand in line at the registration desk. If additional tests are required, you will have to wait in line again. At the same time, the qualifications of doctors leave much to be desired. As a result, we are forced either to bring gratuities or to remain on our feet.

1. I will make the principle “money follows the patient” the main one in Moscow’s healthcare system. Every resident will choose for themselves which clinic and which doctor to trust with their health. Popular institutions will receive more funding, and clinics and hospitals will improve the quality of their services in order to attract patients.

2. I will establish universal pharmaceutical coverage. Insurance companies will pay nurses, and the patient — through the medications received at the pharmacy at their expense, since insurance companies will not be forced to pay for other useless things that many unscrupulous or unqualified doctors prescribe. In addition, for low-income segments of the population, pharmaceutical insurance will be provided at the city's expense.

3. I will rid healthcare of bureaucracy. Now, because of delays, patients often cannot get to a doctor in time. Modern technologies and a clear organization of work will allow the doctor to focus freely on treatment rather than paperwork.

A SPECIFIC QUESTION FOR SOBYANIN

How did the acting mayor's daughter come to own luxurious real estate in the center of Moscow?

Back in 1982, Sergei Sobyanin, a graduate of the Kostroma Technological Institute, went to work for the district Komsomol committee. Since then, the acting mayor has never left public service and has not engaged in business.

However, in the income and property disclosures submitted by Sobyanin to the Moscow authorities, a luxurious 308.1 m² apartment on Rochdelskaya Street was found in the ownership of his daughter Olga in 1997. Naturally, not just anywhere, but in a super-luxurious building not far from the White House, formerly belonging to the Presidential Property Management Department. In the same building live, for example, Mikhail Fradkov, German Gref, and Sergei Ivanov.

Another apartment in the building is now for sale. The price per square meter is $17,000. Thus, the approximate value of Olga Sobyanina's apartment is $5.27 million, or 173 million rubles.

Alexei Navalny asked this question on his blog. As a rule, in such cases officials either remain silent or take the position of offended innocence. But not this time. Somewhere in the comments, the mayor's office posted an official response. It turns out that the apartment was allocated to Sobyanin by the Presidential Property Management Department in January 2006, when he headed the presidential administration.

Subsequently, it was “privatized in the established manner.” The Presidential Property Management Department also explained that the allocated apartment was then transferred into the family's ownership under a social tenancy agreement — this is standard practice. After that, they have the right to privatize it.

Checking the official's statement so that he could find any information. This was also emphasized by journalists from the Slo.ru portal. Looking into the Unified State Register of Legal Entities, they found out that the mayor's office had previously said that the apartment was allocated to Sobyanin in 2006. From that year until 2009, his declarations indeed listed an apartment owned by him with an area of 201 m². The additional 107 square meters, which appeared in the declaration starting in 2009, could only have appeared through the annexation of a neighboring apartment.

According to real estate market analysts, its value in 2009 was around $1.5 million, or 41 million rubles. Even such a “modest” sum the Sobyanin family could not have saved over the years of its three-hundred-year activity.

But even the originally allocated 201 m² could have been privatized. According to Article 4 of the law “On the Privatization of the Housing Stock in the Russian Federation,” the allocation of official residential premises is possible, which are not subject to privatization. Sobyanin also could not have received the apartment as a gift. This is directly prohibited by the Law on the Foundations of the State System. Once in a lifetime, every citizen of the Russian Federation has the right to carry out free privatization of housing in which they live under a social tenancy agreement. But this did not happen with Sobyanin either, because, as city hall reported, the apartment was privatized not by decision, but according to BTI records.

Thus, in Navalny’s opinion, he could not have obtained it into ownership without hindrance. The key question remains: who and how managed to obtain such property. Navalny’s meeting with the people at Stadium 8.

SOBYANIN GOT SCARED OF MUSCOVITES

THE ACTING MAYOR REFUSED TO ANSWER THE UNCOMFORTABLE QUESTIONS OF THE OTHER CANDIDATES

Moscow mayoral candidate Sergei Sobyanin finally refused to participate in the election debates. According to his representatives, he will focus on his work and direct communication with Muscovites.

Translated from bureaucratese into Russian, this means, first, that previously Sobyanin was not focused on his work, and communication with Muscovites was not a priority for him. And second, that as acting mayor he himself is not trying to clarify acute issues in the districts of the capital.

Nevertheless, this “independent candidate” has been a member of the Supreme Council of “United Russia” since 2001 and remains so to this day, and from March 2011 to December 2012 he headed the Moscow branch of the party — the future mayor. But now he is trying to distance himself from the party that always supported him.

And no matter how much Sobyanin would like to convince Muscovites that the matter is about legitimacy, this decision also has other, less noble reasons. After all, “United Russia” has tarnished itself quite well in the eyes of potential voters — people read both about the sincerity of party officials (for example, deputy Viktor Pekhtin secretly acquired real estate in Miami worth $2.5 million, and also Erv Dagestan Magomedov called for militants to be brought to justice), and about ineffective legislation.

According to data from the nationwide Levada Center poll, support for “United Russia” fell to 24% of Russians, and 51.3% consider it the party of thieves and crooks. So it is quite logical that the ex-mayor decided to gain more votes by distancing himself from his former allies.

SELF-NOMINEES, UNITED RUSSIA MEMBERS, HYPOCRITES

The “independent” candidate Sobyanin supported “United Russia” from the very first day of its existence.

Sergey Sobyanin resigned as mayor on June 5, 2013 and intends to take part in the September elections as a self-nominated candidate. He himself explains this by saying that Moscow needs an elected legitimate mayor who will be ready to give the city effective mayoral governance. Nevertheless, he has had something in common with an “independent candidate” since 2001 and to this day remains a member of the supreme council of “United Russia,” and from March 2011 to December 2012 he headed the Moscow branch of the party — already as the future mayor. But now he is trying to distance himself from the party that had always supported him.

In 1998, Prosecutor General Yury Skuratov opened a criminal case against corrupt officials in President Yeltsin’s administration. Vladimir Putin, the head of the FSB, came to obstruct the investigations. Doubts on the eve of our path into the legal field: Federation Council legislator Sergey Sobyanin. It was he who organized Skuratov’s removal from office, thereby earning the president’s trust.

In 2001, Vladimir Putin helped Sergey Sobyanin win the election for governor of Tyumen Oblast. And he really did win — contrary to vote forecasts. Residents of neighboring regions supported incumbent governor Leonid Roketsky. However, Sobyanin then paid special attention to winning the elections in Komi and the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug by using administrative resources.

DIRTY TRICKS

How city hall is trying to derail Navalny’s campaign

Immediately after the start of the campaign in support of Alexei Navalny, his rating began to grow rapidly. At the beginning of August it reached 19.9%, according to Synovate Comcon monitoring data. This means that in the Moscow mayoral election, for the first time in a long while, a real and promising possibility of a second round appeared. City hall began to get nervous and carry out a series of urgent measures.

There were staged incidents, forgeries, and appeals. An idea emerged: to begin a campaign directly against the volunteers. For example, the placement of campaign materials was banned in the metro, and many campaign banners urging people to vote for Navalny were removed. Some administrative bodies used forceful methods to compel security staff to take down posters.

The headquarters resorted to falsifications and manipulations. Stories appeared about how activists from Navalny’s campaign offices were harassed and detained for alleged rule violations. Provocations were organized against volunteers and campaign staff.

The police did not present any search warrant. The formal pretext was that there were allegedly illegal campaign materials in the apartment. There really were stickers and leaflets there — some entirely legal, others made personally by the activists. As a result of the trial, the activists were accused of improper placement. Two got 100 days each, two more were fined 1,000 rubles each. All of it — for “disobeying a lawful order of police officers.” Apparently, those who banned speaking about anyone other than Sergei Sobyanin.

Nasty instructions even prescribed attempts to infiltrate Navalny’s campaign headquarters. For example, some “volunteers” who offered to conduct surveys for internal polling ultimately turned in completely identical questionnaires, which were then sent to headquarters.

IN THE RAIN, IN THE HEAT

Alexei Navalny holds 3–5 meetings with voters every day, where all possible questions are answered. Many of them are repeated. We selected the most popular ones.

I don’t want to go to the elections; everything is already clear as it is, isn’t it? The sociology we conduct shows that there are Muscovites whose heads have not been fooled by television, and yet at the same time they do not want to go to the elections because they think they cannot change anything. So let’s stop thinking that way and come vote.

While we sit at home, they will devour our freedom. In my campaign, 10 thousand people signed up for volunteer groups — not because they love me, but because they want to change the situation, they want to live better in this country.

Why do you want to become mayor? I want to become mayor because I myself was born near Kaluga, when there came such a person who wants to fix the situation in the country. Time passed, people did not come to me, so I decided to go to the people myself and tell them everything that they realize and want. I believe that we ourselves will be able to defeat much, which consists of a person and twenty.

How can you work against the resistance of the federal leadership? The current Tax Code and budget process are structured so that all the money of such a large city as Moscow depends in many ways on the authorities. But even so, we can find ways to redistribute funds within the city and work together with enterprises.

How can you work against the resistance of federal legislation? The current Tax Code and budget process are structured so that all the money of such a large city as Moscow depends directly on the authorities. But even so, we can find ways to redistribute funds within the city and work together with enterprises.

How do we know that all this is not just meaningless slogans? We have already begun to change reality. If Muscovites vote for those who want to change this government, then the country will change. I am sure that any political changes in Russia happen not by accident, but because Muscovites wanted it that way. If Muscovites demonstrate that they want a different government, then the country will change.

LEONID PARFENOV

Journalist and TV presenter. “Throughout the 2000s in Russia, I did not exist: there was no politically competing voice in me. With Alexei Navalny, it arose anew for me. I observe an increasing growth of honesty in him — because he is ready to answer uncomfortable questions and not hide.”

ELENA KORENEVA

Actress, director. “I support Alexei Navalny. Humane, creating a new approach to fighting corruption, he did the incredible — he disrupted the established order in favor of what was said.”

VLADIMIR MIRONOV

Director. “Our country has many times been put under threat because of the dishonor of those in power. I support the person who can bring new breath to governance and respect for the law.”

VIKTOR SHENDEROVICH

Writer-satirist. “Fourteen points of the election program — this is a good plan that should make people think about change.”

Produced by LLC “Polygraphic Combine”, 143000, Moscow Region, Mytishchi, Kolonna St., 9, TIN 5023045907. Customer — the publishing fund of candidate for the position of Mayor of Moscow Alexei Anatolyevich Navalny. Paid for from the funds of the publishing fund of candidate for the position of Mayor of Moscow Alexei Anatolyevich Navalny.