#10
Nezavisimaya Gazeta
July 2, 2002
YABLOKO CHANGES ITS IMAGE
Yavlinsky will cooperate with the regime but not with the Union of Right Forces
Author: Andrei Savitsky
[from WPS Monitoring Agency, www.wps.ru/e_index.html]

YABLOKO HAS CHANGED ITS IMAGE. YAVLINSKY CONFIRMS THAT HIS PARTY REMAINS IN OPPOSITION TO THE REGIME AS FAR AS DOMESTIC POLICY IS CONCERNED, BUT CLAIMS THAT YABLOKO IS READY TO PARTICIPATE IN RESOLVING ANY AND ALL ISSUES. THIS IN ITSELF REPRESENTS PROGRESS.

Yabloko is ready to be cooperative for the sake of its own survival

The Yabloko party's response to Boris Nemtsov's proposal to nominate one democratic candidate for president was delayed but negative. Yabloko leader Grigori Yavlinsky said after a lengthy pause that there was nothing new about the proposal; this had already been tried and proved futile. Yavlinsky could not reject the proposal openly, since Yabloko and the Union of Right Forces (URF) are considered political allies. Moreover, a rejection would have meant that Yabloko itself expects to fail (or almost fail) at the parliamentary elections. Yavlinsky wants Nemtsov's idea to be discussed by the Democratic Conference first. After that, he will make a counter-proposal to Nemtsov - "primaries" based on opinion polls rather than the parliamentary elections.

One of our sources says this is what Yavlinsky's idea involves: shortly after the parliamentary elections, the popularity ratings of all right-wing parties would be determined by opinion polls done by certain organizations. This mechanism of choosing a single democratic presidential candidate is supposed to show Yabloko's primacy (particularly since in the previous campaign Yavlinsky's party was only 1.5% short of the URF, which supported Vladimir Putin).

It isn't hard to see that no matter what suggestions are made or mechanisms proposed, Yabloko will still nominate its own candidate for president. All Yabloko's words to the effect that it cannot rely on the URF - because the latter may decide in Putin's favor again - are only maneuvering. Yavlinsky's party fears its own weakness more than it fears treachery.

Yabloko has changed its image. Yavlinsky confirms that his party remains in opposition to the regime as far as domestic policy is concerned, but claims that Yabloko is ready to participate in resolving any and all issues. This in itself represents progress. Yavlinsky's previous statements - that Yabloko was not suited to the role of obedient adviser to the president and Cabinet - may now be forgotten.