PERM, September 2 (Itar-Tass) — Elections to the Legislative Assembly of the Perm Territory are scheduled for December 4, they will be held simultaneously with the elections of deputies of the State Duma lower house of Russia’s parliament. The decision was taken on Friday by the regional parliament at its extraordinary meeting.
All 47 lawmakers present at the meeting voted in favour of setting the election date for December 4.
The Legislative Assembly of the Perm Territory is composed of 60 deputies elected for 5 years. It is formed by a mixed system: 30 deputies elected in single-mandate constituencies and 30 - by party lists.
It will be the second election to the Legislative Assembly of the Perm Territory. This constituent entity of the Russian Federation was formed six years ago through the merger of the Perm region and Komi-Permyak Autonomous Area, and in December 2006 the first parliamentary elections in the territory were held. The quota of two deputies is preserved for the former administrative-territorial entity – Komi-Permyak Area – in the current Legislative Assembly.
According to the Russia Central Election Commission (CEC), elections to legislative assemblies of all 27 RF subjects will be held simultaneously with the State Duma elections on December 4.
Perm Territory is a federal subject of Russia (a krai) that came into existence on December 1, 2005 as a result of the 2004 referendum on the merger of Perm Oblast and Komi-Permyak Autonomous Okrug. The city of Perm became the administrative centre of the new federal subject. Komi-Permyak Okrug retained its autonomous status within Perm Krai during the transitional period of 2006–2008. It also retained a budget separate from that of the krai, keeping all federal transfers. Starting in 2009, Komi-Permyak Okrug's budget became subject to the budgeting law of Perm Krai. The transitional period was implemented in part because Komi-Permyak Okrug relies heavily on federal subsidies, and an abrupt cut would have been detrimental to its economy.
Administratively, the krai is divided into thirty-three districts, fourteen cities of krai significance, and one closed administrative-territorial formation. Six administrative districts are grouped into Komi-Permyak Okrug, which is an administrative unit with special status formed within Perm Krai as a result of the 2005 merger of Perm Oblast and Komi-Permyak Autonomous Okrug, both of which used to be the federal subjects. Municipally, the territories of all administrative districts and those of nine cities of krai significance are incorporated as municipal districts. The remaining five cities are incorporated as urban okrugs.