The Federation Council, Russia’s upper house of parliament, passed a bill on direct elections of governors who are currently appointed by local parliaments on recommendations from the president.
The bill is part of a series of legislative initiatives aimed to decentralize presidential powers in the wake of nationwide protests against alleged fraud in December elections to the State Duma and amid accusations of a lack of democracy in the country. The document was passed with 135 votes in favor and two abstentions
The Duma approved the bill in a third and final reading on April 25. The document will now have to be signed by the president to enter force on June 1, 2012.
President Dmitry Medvedev submitted the bill to the Duma on January 16, over a month after the Duma polls won by the ruling pro-presidential United Russia party.
Under the law, Russian citizens over thirty will be able to run for gubernatorial posts, either representing a party or independently. Independent candidates will have to collect signatures from 0.5-2% of voters. The president will be able to hold consultations with candidates if he wishes to.
The law also said the candidate would have to gain support from 5-10% of local parliamentarians from at least three quarters of regional municipalities. The winner will have to garner over 50% of votes with no barrier set for the turnout.
The new law sets the limit for an elected governor to remain in power for no more than two terms in a row. It provides for dismissing governors in a recall vote.
