PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY, June 9 (Itar-Tass) — The Legislative Assembly of Russia’s Far Eastern Kamchatka territory on Saturday passed a local law on gubernatorial elections.
Under the law, a new head of the territorial government will be elected in direct voting for the term of five years after office terms of the incumbent governor, Vladimir Ilyukhin expire.
Candidates may be nominated by political parties eligible for elections. A successful candidate shall win fifty percent of the vote plus one vote. Any person is allowed to be governor for not more than two consecutive terms.
According to speaker of the Kamchatka parliament Valery Rayenko, direct election of governors is the right and logical step. “Heated debates were held during the national parliamentary and presidential campaigns. These debates yielded a common viewpoint shared by all political parties and general public that heads of regions should be elected in a popular vote,” he said.
“Now there is a stable situation in the country and society is ready for the comeback of gubernatorial elections. A corresponding federal law has already been passed. Today, we passed our local, territorial, law on that matter. It is important that the law provides for a recalling procedure to remove a governor. This right will be vested with the president and people. It means that in case an inefficient governor comes to power, there will be mechanisms to recall him or her,” Rayenko said.
The federal law on direct elections of governors of Russian regions came into force on June 1, 2012.