MOSCOW, April 10 (Itar-Tass World Service) —— On Monday, the State Duma had hearings, where deputies discussed returning election of governors. Participants in the discussion are sure election of governors should be revived, though there should be a double filter – a municipal and a presidential one. This is necessary to avoid the system of governors’ elections of the 1990s and not to let irresponsible governors obtain the power.
The parliamentary hearings of the bill on direct election of governors did not give an answer on Monday as to how may barriers candidates will be facing, the Nezavisimaya Gazeta writes. Nevertheless, the process at the State Duma has demonstrated that the initial idea – to let people choose their regional power and to be suffering from it – is not considered worthy. It is clear already that the initial presidential text will be changed dramatically.
The State Duma deputies approved over the first hearing on February 28 the bill on direct elections of leaders of Russia’s regions, initiated by Dmitry Medvedev, and the second hearing is due on April 24, the newspaper writes. The State Duma’s Speaker Sergei Naryshkin, who spoke at the hearing, supported the latest innovation for the bill. The idea appeared a week earlier during the meeting of the president with governors and mayors – to apply a procedure of approval of candidates for governorship by municipal deputies. The major task of the hearing at the State Duma on Monday was to clear out the issue: will the municipal filter replace the presidential one, or should they both be applicable. No final decision appeared.
Those who supported removal of all extra limitations were the minority, the Kommersant writes. The newspaper states the committee on constitutional legislation will be discussing addendums to the bill to April 15. Besides the bigger presidential filter and the introduction of the municipal filter, more innovations may emerge. For example, on Monday, a deputy of all the six convocations Gennady Kulik suggested lowering the minimal age for candidates from 30 to 25 years. And head of the State Duma’s committee on federative statehood Viktor Kidyaev suggested “stating a governorship candidate should have practical experience in working at executive authorities.”