The St. Petersburg election commission has rejected the Yabloko party's candidate list for the city's legislative assembly, citing errors in the party's submitted financial documentation.

St. Petersburg election officials have refused to register Yabloko party candidates for the upcoming legislative assembly elections. The commission stated that the party's financial report was signed by an unauthorized representative, rendering the submission invalid. Party leader Nikolai Rybakov had previously requested intervention from the Russian Central Election Commission, but the city commission proceeded with the denial.

Commission justification for denial

Oleg Zatsepa, deputy head of the city election commission, stated that while Yabloko submitted a full set of documents, the signature on the financial report came from an individual lacking the necessary authority. The commission classified this as an uncorrectable flaw. Yabloko representatives argued that their power of attorney documentation was sufficient to authorize their lawyer to submit the report.

Broader context for the party

While Yabloko was denied registration, the commission approved candidate lists for A Just Russia, New People, and the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (KPRF). Reports indicate that Yabloko has faced increasing pressure ahead of the State Duma elections, with authorities allegedly seeking to limit the party's participation or exclude prominent figures from their candidate lists.