MOSCOW, November 10 (Itar-Tass) — The elections to regional parliaments, which will be held on December 4 in 27 constituent entities of the Russian federation, have failed to repeat the sensational result of the Duma elections. If at the federal level for the first time in modern history all the political parties are participating, then at the regional, according to the Russian Central Election Commission (CEC), the lists of all seven political parties have been registered only in two regions of Russia: in St. Petersburg and the Perm Territory.
It should be noted that in most “electoral” regions of the Russian Federation the registration of party lists passed without losses. In 18 RF subjects of the total 27, all the parties that have declared their intention to participate in the struggle for the mandates in legislative bodies of authority were admitted to the elections. During the campaign a total of 10 party lists were removed from elections in regions.
As a result, the smallest number of elections participants by party lists is in Mordovia, where only three parliamentary parties: United Russia, Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) and Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) passed the registration. The Fair Russia party refused to run in elections to the State Assembly of the republic and even has not started the registration. “We took this unprecedented decision because of the pressure exerted on the party,” Fair Russia leader Sergei Mironov told Itar-Tass. He explained that such a move is unprecedented, because Fair Russia, as a parliamentary party traditionally takes part in all elections at the regional level. Moreover, Fair Russia has not even nominated single-mandate candidates in this republic.
The Duma “big four” is struggling by party lists seats for seats in the legislatures of the Altai, Primorsky, Stavropol Territories, the Volgograd, Leningrad, Lipetsk, Murmansk, Novgorod Regions and the Jewish Autonomous Region. Only four lists nominated by parliamentary parties have been registered in each of these regions. Moreover, in the Vologda, Lipetsk, Murmansk Regions and Jewish Autonomous Region other parties have not even started the procedure of nomination.
Five parties will be represented on the ballot in Ingushetia, Chuvashia, the Kamchatka and Krasnoyarsk Territories, Moscow, Orel, Pskov, and Sverdlovsk regions each. Six party lists have been registered in each of the rest regions.
As is evident from the CEC data, the Yabloko party has got five denials of registration. In two more RF subjects this party have not submitted documents for registration. As a result, Yabloko, which had launched the nomination procedure in 13 regions, to date, has registered its lists only in six: Karelia, St. Petersburg, the Perm Territory, Astrakhan, Pskov and Samara regions. In some regions the Yabloko party members have challenged in court the decision to deny it registration.
The Right Cause party has registered its party lists in 12 regions: Ingushetia, Karelia, the Krasnoyarsk and Perm Territories, Amur, Moscow, Omsk, Orel, Sverdlovsk, Tomsk and Tyumen regions and St. Petersburg. Right Cause was denied registration in the Stavropol Territory, and in Mordovia the party was denied at the stage of the list’s certification.
The lists of Patriots of Russia are presented in 10 RF subjects: Chuvashia, the Kamchatka and Perm Territories, the Amur, Astrakhan, Omsk, Samara, Tomsk and Tyumen regions and in St. Petersburg. The party was denied registration in the Novgorod and Orel regions.
Duma parties are leading in the total number of candidates in the registered lists. United Russia has 1,918 candidates, the Communist Party – 1,711, Fair Russia – 1,476, Liberal Democratic Party – 1,347. There are much less candidates on the lists of non-parliamentary parties: Right Cause – 538, Patriots of Russia - 449, Yabloko - 312 people.
Simultaneously, parties have registered their candidates in regions also in single-mandate constituencies. Because in 24 RF subjects out of the total 27 elections are held by a mixed system. Only in St. Petersburg, Ingushetia, and in the Amur region, as well as at the federal level, transition has been made to a proportional system of elections. According to the CEC, the total number of single-mandate candidates in 24 regions has reached 2,514 people. Most of them – 2,059 – were nominated by political parties and 455 candidates for the regional mandates are self-nominees. Among the single-mandate candidates are representatives of all seven political parties. The same proportion as in the party lists is observed here. United Russia has nominated a total of 543 single-mandate candidates, the Communist Party - 507, the Liberal Democratic Party - 501, Fair Russia - 540. Right Cause has 30 such candidates, Yabloko -17, Patriots of Russia - 11.
Deputies of legislative bodies from all 27 subjects of the Russian Federation are elected for a term of five years. The largest number of seats - 68 – are contested in the Altai Territory. The smallest in number legislature - 19 members – is in the Jewish Autonomous Region. The overwhelming majority of regions have a 7-percent “floating” election barrier. The only exceptions are the Krasnoyarsk and Kamchatka Territories that have a 5-percent barrier.
The first TV debates of the parties running at the Duma elections were held on Channel One on November 9. Rossiya-1 will broadcast the debates in a political “Duel” talk show with host Vladimir Solovyev. The first such “duel” will be held between Yabloko and Patriots of Russia at 10:50 p.m., Moscow time on November 10. Representatives of the parties have quite positively evaluated not only this format of debates, but also its nearly one hour length. Rossiya-1 has made one more new offer to the parties, proposing televised debates on a commercial basis.
United Russia and Liberal Democrats will argue in the debates on the Rossiya- 24 TV news channel at 6 p.m. Moscow time on November 10. This television channel participates in the election campaign for the first time. Right Cause and Yabloko will meet in the first debates on TV Centre at 8:55 p.m. MSK on November 16.
This time schedule was made up after a free airtime drawing, which was held at the Russian Central Election Commission on October 31. Under the election law, each from seven parties, which are running in the elections, was granted one hour of free airtime on four federal television channels and four radio stations. A half of this free airtime is granted for debates. Another half of free airtime is given for the speeches of party members and promos. But live debates will be the most exciting part of campaigning.
The canvassing materials will be also published in 13 printed media outlets, which provided the free printed space for the parties. The canvassing period in the media will last till midnight (local time) on December 3. After this hour “the day of silence” will come into effect. The elections to the sixth State Duma will be held on December 4.