MOSCOW, December 4 (Itar-Tass) — As many as 27 subjects of the Russion Federation are holding on Sunday (simultaneously with Duma elections) polls to their regional legislative assemblies.
Such a considerable number of elections in subjects of the Russian Federation was combined for the first time with the Duma elections, and the struggle at them is no less tense than for seats at the federal legislature.
The elections to regional legislative assemblies are being held in the Ingushetia, Karelia, Mordovia, Chuvashia republics, the Altai, Krasnoyarsk, Kamchatka, Perm, Primorye and Stavropol territories, the Astrakhan, Amur, Vologda, Leningrad, Lipetsk, Moscow, Murmansk, Novgord, Omsk, Oryol, Pskov, Samara, Sverdlovsk, Tomsk and Tyumen regions, St. Petersburg and the Jewish Autonomous Region. Some 38 million citizens enjoy the right to vote in these subjects of the Russian Federation.
All in all, 1,210 deputies will be replaced, including by the proportional system (by party lists) – 662. The voting is held only by party lists in three regions – the Ingushetia republic, the Amur Region and St. Petersburg.
As many as 11,188 aspirants were nominated at the first stage of the election campaign to local parliaments of 27 regions. A total of 10,266 candidates passed registration. Out of the total, 7,751 claimants race by party lists. Another 2,514 were registered in one-seat constituencies. The overwhelming number of them – 2,056 – are nominees by political parties, the rest – independents.
Thus, one regional seat is contested, on average, by 8.5 candidates. This is more than at the Duma elections where competition – seven candidates.
The Tomsk Region demonstrates the largest scramble for local parliamentary seats. Up to 12 hopefuls contest one seat at the regional legislative assembly. The competition is also high for seats at local parliaments in the Amur and Omsk regions, the Krasnoyarsk Territory. It will be 11 people for a seat in the last two, while in the Amur Region – nearly 12 people.
United Russia, the Russian Communist Party and the Russian Liberal Democratic Party race by party lists in all 27 subjects of the Russian Federation. The fourth State Duma party – Just Russia – refused to participate in the elections in the Mordovia Republic. Thus, its lists will be in ballot papers in 26 regions.
Lists of Patriots of Russia are present in 10 and Right Cause – in 12 subjects of the Russian Federation. Yabloko participates in elections in six regions. All the seven parties participate in the elections only in St. Petersburg and the Perm Territory; the least number – three parties – will participate in the election race in Mordovia republic.
All in all, 27 subjects of the Russian Federation hold 2,800 elections at various levels and local referendums. Only six regions: Bashkortostan, the Kabardino-Balkar and Kalmykia republics as well as the Ivanovo Region, Moscow and the Nentsi Autonomous Area do not participate in elections at the regional and municipal levels this Sunday.