Rostov holds another protest against parliamentary elections

The action was aimed against the Russian parliamentary elections to be held on December 4, 2011. The picketers explained passers-by that the opposition offers to hold alternative elections on that very day.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Rostov-on-Don is holding - within the public campaign "Fictitious Elections - Outside the Law!" - weekly actions for cancellation of the illegal, in the opinion of protesters, parliamentary elections.

The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was informed by Vladislav Ryazantsev, the organizer of the action and coordinator of the movement "The Left-Wing Front" for the Rostov Region, that on September 26 the picket was held, as it had been scheduled, in front of the public library. Ten persons from the movements "The Left-Wing Front", "The Other Russia", and "The Labour Russia" stretched out a large banner with the words "Elections without Opposition Are Crime!" Besides, the young oppositionists brought a wreath to "bury" the elections.

"The wreath symbolized the 'funeral' of the elections. We believe that the recent statements of the head of our state have become the last nails into the lead of the coffin with the elections. After the action we'll bring this wreath to the building of the regional election commission (REC)," said Ryazantsev.

This time, many passers-by stopped to read the huge banner and came up to shake hands with the picketers. "We were even welcomed by some joint delegation of Frenchmen and Armenians, who were delighted with our action," said Ryazantsev, adding that during the whole hour of the action the protesters kept explaining people that the opposition would arrange alternative elections on December 4.

"So far, we are just talking about that. Next time we plan to print out ballot papers, so that everyone could write down his or her candidates, for whom they would vote. Most likely, the alternative elections will be held over the Internet," said the organizer. "Besides, next time we'll also seek to hold a picket in front of the regional election commission. We lost the lawsuit on cancellation of the decision of the administration of the Kirov District of Rostov-on-Don, which banned our picket at the REC, but we're going to lodge cassation to the Regional Court. We'll sue them on every subsequent ban."

Let us remind you that on September 12 oppositionists failed to pass over to the REC their applications asking to exclude them from the list of voters at the upcoming parliamentary elections. On September 19, a new action was held within the public campaign "Fictitious Elections - Outside the Law!" In the course of the picket, it was decided to hold a large-scale action for abolition of the election.

Let us also note here that on August 29 Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree on appointing the elections of Russian State Duma Deputies on December 4, 2011. While four years ago 11 political parties were put on the ballot paper, this time there will be no more than seven of them.

On the day of signing the decree, in Rostov-on-Don a few young men held solo pickets with posters: "We demand cancellation of illegal elections on December 4!", "Fictitious Elections - Outside the Law!" and "Elections without Opposition Are Crime!"