Election Commission Clears Yabloko to Run Pro-Peace Candidates in State Duma Races

Russia's Central Election Commission on Wednesday approved more than 400 candidates from the liberal Yabloko party, allowing them to run in the upcoming State Duma elections in September on a pro-peace platform. Party Chairman Nikolai Ryabkov said the decision gives Russians their first opportunity in five years to vote for peace and freedom, providing a legal and safe avenue to advocate for a ceasefire.

The registration includes 269 candidates on the federal list and 135 single-mandate candidates who will compete for seats in the lower house of parliament. Earlier in July, election authorities flagged discrepancies in application documents for 25 Yabloko candidates, but after the party submitted revised filings, only one candidate was disqualified.

Yabloko acknowledged that it expects a difficult campaign ahead of the Sept. 20 elections. The party said that reading supporters' comments and letters, it knows they will walk this path together.

The federal approval contrasts sharply with the obstacles Yabloko candidates face in regional and local elections held simultaneously. Dozens of party members have had their applications rejected at the local level, barring them from the ballot.

In addition to Yabloko, the ruling United Russia party, the Communist Party, the nationalist Liberal Democratic Party, the center-right New People, and the left-leaning A Just Russia have been cleared to compete. Two other parties currently without State Duma representation were also approved to run candidates.

In recent years, Russian authorities have jailed several prominent Yabloko members on charges related to their criticism of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.