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Ingush parliament to elect republic's leader on September 8

The Ingush leader will be elected at an extraordinary session of the People's Assembly from among three candidates nominated by the Russian President

NAZRAN, August 29 (Itar-Tass) - Ingush lawmakers on Thursday said they will elect the republic's leader on September 8, which is Single Voting Day in Russia.

Under the latest amendments to election legislation which allow election of regional leaders by local parliaments, the Ingush leader will be elected at an extraordinary session of the People's Assembly (parliament) from among three candidates nominated by the Russian President. Dagestan, another North Caucasian republic, will follow the same election procedure.

On August 19, Russian President Vladimir Putin submitted to the Ingush parliament three candidacies: acting Ingushetia leader Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, chairman of United Russia Party's regional branch Uruskhan Yevloyev and deputy parliament speaker Magomed Tatriyev.

In March, Russia adopted a federal law offering an alternative to direct gubernatorial elections. It envisioned election of regional leaders by parliaments from the candidates proposed by the Russian president at political parties' recommendations.

Political parties cannot nominate more than three candidates, and the head of state, too, can only propose three candidates from different political parties.

The winner of the Ingush leader election has to gather more than half of lawmakers' votes. A runoff election is won by simple majority.

Before nominating their candidates, political parties held consultations with their counterparts which were not represented in the Ingush parliament, but were registered in regions. In Ingushetia, 14 parties came up with proposals of their own. United Russia decided on two candidates: Yevkurov and Tatriyev. The Communist Party (KPRF) supported Yevkurov, and did not nominate any other candidate. Yevkurov is also a nominee of A Just Russia Party and Right Cause. Other A Just Russia's nominees are Yevloyev and dean of the chemistry and biology department of the Ingush State University Tugan Tochiyev (recommended by the Greens), while Right Cause is promoting chairman of their regional branch Shamsudin Mamilov and Vice-President of the republic's Chamber of Commerce and Industry Akhmed Shadiev. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) which has no faction in the Ingush parliament, nominated its member Alexander Kropachyov.

The September 8 election will involve some 70 Russian provinces. Nine of them will hold gubernatorial elections, and 16 will elect deputies to local legislative bodies.