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First plenary meeting of new Duma possible early in October, says source

After the official summing up of the election results, the elected legislators will have five days to decide whether they accept their mandates or give them up

MOSCOW, September 23. /TASS/. The first plenary session of the 8th State Duma will most likely be held early in October, a source close to the leadership of the United Russia Party told TASS on Thursday.

The source reiterated that after the official summing up of the election results, scheduled for September 24, the elected legislators will have five days to decide whether they accept their mandates or give them up.

He stressed that the formation of the new Duma will in no way influence the introduction to the Duma of a draft federal budget for 2022 and the planned period of 2023-2024. "Everything will take place in time," he pledged.

On September 21, the Russian government approved a draft federal budget for next year. Under the law, the Cabinet must submit it to the Duma before October 1 (from next year, it will be September 15).

The date of the first session of the ad hoc parliamentarian working group to prepare the first session of the 8th Duma will be announced later, a source from the State Duma told TASS on Thursday.

He reiterated that the group was set up upon instructions from the speaker of the 7th Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin. "Work is underway for its first meeting. The date of the first meeting will be announced additionally," the source said.

Parliamentary election

Elections to the 8th Russian State Duma (lower house) were held over three days - on September 17, 18 and 19. After processing 100% of the voting results, the nation’s ruling party, United Russia, clinched 49.82% of the ballots on the party list to the Russian State Duma, according to the Central Election Commission’s website. The Communist Party came in second (18.93%), while the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia reaped 7.55%, A Just Russia — For Truth gained 7.46% and New People got 5.32%. All these five parties broke through the 5% barrier to enter the State Duma.

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