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New principle of gubernatorial elections may be launched 2012

State Duma speaker Sergei Naryshkin said “the first gubernatorial elections may take place in 2012”
Photo ITAR-TASS
Photo ITAR-TASS

MOSCOW, December 22 (Itar-Tass) — Russian president’s aide Arkady Dvorkovich said on Thursday that the new principle of gubernatorial elections may begin functioning already next year.

“The role of parties in nominating candidates will be the main one, this is hundred percent sure, but we cannot give other details so far,” Dvorkovich said. He added that consultations are now in progress with United Russia and other parties, and “the mechanism of nomination is being finalized”. He also stressed that “the voting on candidates will be popular”.

“Times have changed,” he said, explaining the reason of the return to gubernatorial elections. “We have grown to the situation in which we can return to former mechanisms. The situation now is such that we can return,” he stressed.

State Duma speaker Sergei Naryshkin, for his part, said “the first gubernatorial elections may take place in 2012”. However, he did not specify when this will happen in reply to reporters’ queries.

“It will be written in the law when it becomes effective,” Naryshkin explained. He stressed that “gubernatorial elections will be direct”. However, options are discussed now how to nominate candidates. “One of them is when the candidate is nominated by political parties, but there can be other options as well,” Naryshkin added.