Russian President Decrees Changes To Gubernatorial Candidate Nomination Rules

(RIA Novosti – Moscow, July 11, 2013) Parties represented in the State Duma and (regional) legislative assemblies, rather than just the victorious party in regional elections, will have the right to nominate gubernatorial candidates to the president in the regions that have decided not to hold direct elections (for regional governors), says the president’s degree published on the official portal of legal information.

By issuing this decree, the head of state confirmed the provision governing the rules for introducing and examining nominations for the most senior post in regions where the head is elected by the regional parliament.

According to the document, nominations for the most senior post in the constituent parts of the Russian Federation are presented to the Russian president by permanent, collective decision-making, ruling bodies of political parties whose lists of candidates have been admitted for the distribution of deputy seats in a legislative assembly and parties whose lists of candidates have been allowed to claim deputy seats. Furthermore, this right has been granted to parties whose federal lists of candidates have been admitted for the distribution of deputy seats on the basis of the results of elections to the State Duma.

Political parties will be able to nominate no more than three candidates, who may be affiliated to any party or be unaffiliated. Parties are to hold internal consultations no later than 15 days and consultations with the president, the head of his administration or other Kremlin officials no later than 10 days prior to presenting nominations.

“When presenting… (source ellipsis) nominations, the standing and reputation of the nominees, their experience of public (state and social) work and the results of the consultations are be taken into consideration,” the document says.

(Earlier, RIA Novosti reported the decree as saying that prior to their nomination, gubernatorial candidates would be obliged to close their foreign bank accounts. “Under the decree, by the time of his nomination, a candidate shall cease activities that are in conflict with the status of the most senior official and, specifically, present a document showing his and his family members’ income and expenditure,” RIA Novosti added. (RIA Novosti news agency, Moscow, in Russian 1413 gmt 11 Jul 13))