MOSCOW, September 12 (Itar-Tass) - Elections held in most Russian regions on September 8 entered another stage in developing Russia’s political system, determining a new level of political rivalry, State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin said in opening remarks at the Open Platform discussion forum assessing the single nationwide election day.
“Legal circumstances for political rivalry - differences in stances, expenses and faults - have reached a new, more qualitative level,” he said. Participation of 54 political parties in these elections against seven in 2011 had become an example of this, he added, noting “Yes, there are lots of small parties among these 54. I will agree that not all the parties are destined to have a happy future.”
“It is difficult for the newcomers to compete with the ‘elders’ of political Olympus, moreover with the parliamentary parties,” Naryshkin said, “although more opportunities are created now for new parties and new politicians to appear.”
Speaking on possible corrections in election law as one of the themes of forthcoming discussions, the Duma speaker called for debating it “without excessive emotions”.
“Our task is to provide normal evolutionary development of the political process so that struggle for votes will remain within limits of civilised political rivalry based on social and economic programmes and political platforms, not as a war between personalities or a sleaze war,” he said.
Naryshkin said the Council of Non-parliamentary Parties would hold its session next week to discuss polls results.