Valery Rashkin - on the upcoming elections to the State Duma: "There will be a big fight, take my word for it"

During the pandemic, small business in the city collapsed, children were planted in their homes, and those who came here to work began to leave the city.

- Do the opposition candidates in Moscow have a chance of winning?

- Moscow has changed. This was shown by the elections to the Moscow City Duma. The city hall lost there. If it were not for those districts where there were no observers and electronic voting, they would not have won a majority at all and completely lost the Moscow City Duma. Actually, the mayoral elections were tightened only thanks to the municipal filter, and strong candidates could not pass. They knocked them out artificially. Moscow has become oppositional and problematic for Putin, the Kremlin, the mayor's office in terms of what to do to make Muscovites believe them - the party of crooks and thieves, including Putin, that something will improve, go for the better. Faith is gone. And from the point of view of agitation, propaganda, money - they are already powerless, therefore, indeed, the chances of opposition-minded candidates to Putin, the mayor, United Russia are very good.

Everything will depend on the candidates who will be nominated by the parties. I do not take the SR and the Liberal Democratic Party - they are not opposition. In Moscow, as nowhere else, they see that these are parties-spoilers, parties that work for the authorities. This was especially evident in the position on amending the Constitution, constitutional laws, which were adopted by the United Russia, the SR and the Liberal Democratic Party as one party.

Moscow sees and hears everything, discusses everything on social networks. These parties are losing even before the nomination, there is absolutely no chance there. Truly opposition candidates have a chance, who see the way out in democratic freedoms - freedom of speech, freedom to assemble peacefully, freedom of demands. This is important for Muscovites.

In addition, the socio-economic situation for Muscovites has also worsened. Even under Luzhkov, the line for housing for state employees was moving. Under Sobyanin, this generally became zero. Moscow had a higher rate of income growth than in the regions. Today Moscow has dropped in all respects. I'm not even talking about the fact that United Russia together with the mayor promised that traffic jams would disappear from the streets, and they only increase. And the tile, which has become a proverb along with the bordering of all of Moscow? Everyone is already tired of this. And theft. Huge budget, but where is the money, Zin? Who sawed them through? Who got rich?

Well, he added a boorish attitude during the pandemic. Small business collapsed, students were planted at home, no help, those who came here to work began to leave Moscow, became voters. They are leaving, there has not been such a trend since the 90s.

- What are the chances of the non-systemic opposition?

- The non-systemic opposition has chances if it is registered. Unfortunately, they could not collect signatures either in the Moscow City Duma, they will not be able to collect signatures in the State Duma either. For them it is too heavy, because there is no structure, no technology, they simply cannot.

- Can Yabloko take single-mandate constituencies?

- I believe that the Yabloko party was blown away. Especially after Yavlinsky's speech. This is a landmark, programmatic speech that has already determined the tactics and strategy for the elections to the State Duma. If they will be nominated, then only with the agreed candidates, which means that they suit the current government. Moscow cannot be fooled by this. Everything will be clear right away. The story of Kasamara and Federmesser will repeat itself. Social networks and small groups are very important now. Information travels very quickly. It will be clear on the candidates. If Yabloko has agreed candidates, they won't have a chance.

Muscovites look very intently, Muscovites have become very active, 40% of Muscovites are ready to go out. This has never happened.

- What are the chances of media candidates from United Russia?

- Useless. In my opinion, the very emblem of the United Russia is already a shame for a person who goes to vote for them. This is a stamp. And they cannot be nominated as self-nominated candidates, the congress made a decision that candidates should go under their flag. Self-nominated candidates need to collect signatures. Even if they collect (draw), this is all visible. There are people in their headquarters who hate them, work under duress. They will definitely leak this information to us.

There will be a big fight, take my word for it.

I believe that they have no chance in this campaign, only if they stupidly, knowing that there will be indignation and the street will swell, will go to massive falsifications by means of electronic voting, three-day voting, rewriting protocols, pulling packages out of safes at night. If they really do it. I will repeat once again: even in election commissions, people appointed by them will take them. The time has come when it is no longer possible to put pressure on election commissions to falsify.

- Will you go on the list or in a single-member constituency?

- Both on the list and in a single-mandate constituency.

Read about the political situation in Moscow on the eve of the elections to the State Duma in the analyst of Novye Izvestia "Battle for Moscow: the outcome of the elections in the capital is decided on the distant approaches."