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CEC registers Alexander Tarnavsky as State Duma deputy

Tarnavsky is replacing Gennady Gudkov in A Just Russia faction
Photo ITAR-TASS
Photo ITAR-TASS

MOSCOW, October 10 (Itar-Tass) — The Central Election Commission on Wednesday registered Alexander Tarnavsky as a deputy of the 6th State Duma. CEC member Sergei Danilenko said Tarnavsky had submitted all the necessary documents on his giving up the activities and powers incompatible with lawmaker's status.

Tarnavsky is replacing Gennady Gudkov in A Just Russia faction, who was stripped of his mandate on September 14 for involvement in commercial activity contrary to the status of lawmaker.

The handover of the mandate to Tarnavsky irked United Russia. Its leadership accused A Just Russia of behind-the-scenes policy and violation of voters' rights. United Russia believes the mandate should have been passed to economist Nikita Krichevsky who was number two in the regional group. The ruling party placed the relevant inquiry with the Constitutional Court on October 3.

Tarnavsky was third on the regional group's list.

CEC had voted for the decision to pas the mandate to Tarnavsky 8-4, with three abstentions.

A Just Russia said Krichevsky had "distanced himself from the Party's affairs" after the parliamentary elections.

Alexander Tarnavsky, 52, has been with A Just Russia since its establishment, as a member of its executive bodies.

The CEC insisted that the mandate had been handed over in full compliance with the law which does not require written refusal from other candidates within the same regional group.

Whereas earlier, a mandate had to be passed to the next candidate in the regional group, the amendments introduced several years ago changed the procedure, under which the Party's governing body can select any candidate from this group. This norm has already been applied repeatedly.

CEC Secretary Nikolai Konkin said, "The law does not specify which regional candidate is entitled to the mandate. If the Party had not used its right to propose the candidate, the CEC would have passed the mandate to the next candidate on the list."

He also said Gudkov still has a potential opportunity to return to the 6th State Duma. He has not been taken off the list of the candidates and the Party can offer him a vacant mandate should such an opportunity present itself.