MOSCOW, July 3. /TASS/. Russia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) will exercise its right to postpone elections in certain districts of Russia’s new regions in the event of a threat to the lives and well-being of their residents, CEC head Ella Pamfilova told Russian President Vladimir Putin at a meeting on Monday.

"If any force majeure events occur - in some districts, the situation could deteriorate rapidly and we might see that a serious threat to the lives and well-being of residents is emerging there - we do have the right to postpone these elections in any district. We would definitely exercise this right if any serious grounds to do so emerged," she noted.

The CEC head pointed out that the leaders of all four new regions had addressed the CEC with an initiative to hold elections as part of Russia’s nationwide balloting.

"In compliance with the law, we held all the necessary consultations with the FSB and the Defense Ministry, we discussed it thoroughly, weighing all the pros and cons. And we took on this serious obligation to support their initiative and the aspiration to hold elections. We are doing everything possible for this, providing every type of assistance," Pamfilova said.

According to her, the participation of the four new regions in Russia’s upcoming nationwide elections will mark a "historic distinguishing feature" of the 2023 election campaign versus all previous votes. The CEC head also added that it was important that earlier amendments allowed for holding elections in those regions where martial law had been imposed if certain conditions were observed.

Russia’s nationwide single voting day in 2023 will be held on September 10. The Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) and the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions will participate in it for the first time ever. In particular, the DPR and LPR will hold elections to their respective People’s Councils (legislative bodies). According to their constitutions, the heads of these two regions are elected by legislators. It was decided to hold the elections over three days, September 8, 9 and 10.