Leader of Russia’s anti-war party attacks exiled opposition’s voting strategy: ‘They’re sitting abroad, manipulating you’

The chair of Russia's liberal Yabloko party, Nikolai Rybakov, spoke out against the voting strategy proposed by exiled opposition figures Yulia Navalnaya and Maxim Katz for the country’s upcoming elections, warning that following it would end up helping politicians responsible for repressions and war, the outlet Varlamov News reported on Wednesday.

Addressing supporters in St. Petersburg, Rybakov argued that voters who followed the plan would bear responsibility for the consequences.

“[They’re] proposing that we go along again like sheep to their tune, and vote for the very people who have caused deaths in Russia and Ukraine,” Rybakov said, referring to Navalnaya and Katz. “They’re sitting abroad, manipulating you.”

Rybakov urged supporters instead to back Yabloko candidates in single-mandate constituencies, which are the only races where they will appear after the party was banned from party-list races by the Supreme Court over alleged copyright infringement. For the party-list vote, Rybakov pointed to what Yabloko calls “Plan B”: spoiling the ballot.

Around 1,300 people attending the meeting, according to the independent outlet SOTAvision.

Navalnaya and Katz unveiled their joint initiative on 14 September, urging voters in State Duma elections to back any party other than United Russia on the party-list ballot, and to support whichever candidate stood the best chance of beating the ruling party’s nominee in single-mandate districts. Katz said the strongest option was generally the New People party.

The pair also launched a website profiling every State Duma candidate, detailing their career background and their record on the war and military mobilisation, along with a recommended choice for voters in each race.