| The department of Alexander Veshnyakov rewrote the electoral legislation The new political season at the Central Election Commission opened with a heated discussion about how to bring more freedom, democracy and all kinds of voting rights into the life of the Russian electorate.
Members of the commission discussed the memo “On the practice of holding federal elections, elections to government bodies of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation in 2002-2004 and proposals for amending and supplementing certain provisions of the legislation of the Russian Federation on elections and referendums” presented by the Secretary of the Central Election Commission Olga Zastrozhnaya. This document contains a number of provisions on the basis of which the electoral legislation will be amended.
The most important proposal of the Central Election Commission, which radically changes the rules of the game in elections, is the elimination of majoritarian districts and a complete transition to elections based on party lists. Olga Zastrozhnaya recalled that independent candidates exist only on paper, and de facto all single-mandate candidates are members of parties and after the elections they disperse to their factions. Of the 225 majoritarians elected in the last Duma elections, only 15 now have independent status. To strengthen the connection between candidates and the people, the Central Election Commission wants to introduce an open list system: mandates are awarded primarily to candidates from the group of the region in which the party received the largest percentage of votes. At the same time, the Central Election Commission intends to require each party to create at least 72 (!) regional groups, and preferably all 89 - according to the number of federal subjects.
However, commission member Evgeniy Kolyushin unexpectedly suggested that his colleagues abandon the idea of eliminating single-mandate constituencies. “In the G7 countries, elections are purely party-based, but they are held precisely according to the majoritarian system,” said Mr. Kaloshin. “Because the proportional system ensures party interests at the expense of voters’ interests.”
On this basis, the Cikovites staged a debate “for” and “against” the abolition of districts. Ms. Zastrozhnaya suggested that independent candidates could still be allowed to run in the regions, but then let them compete on equal terms with party lists. “It will be like a fight between one boxer and a whole team,” Mr. Kolyushin was horrified, and another member of the Central Election Commission, Elena Dubrovina, emotionally stated: “I can’t even say a word that would express my attitude towards this!” Elvira Ermakova added that if the institution of self-nomination disappears, nothing terrible will happen: “Let candidates go to the Duma with the support of parties, not criminal structures.” And Anastasia Tezikova, a member of the Central Election Commission with the right of advisory vote from the LDPR, noted that the proportional system will bring great economic benefits to the state: if a deputy leaves parliament, it is enough to seat the next one on the list in his place - and there is no need to hold expensive re-elections in a single-mandate constituency, as in the case of Alexander Zhukov.
But it turned out that promotion through the list when mandates are renounced is a tricky issue. The Central Election Commission was not very pleased with how in December all the “United Russia” leaders of the regional troikas unanimously gave up their seats in the Duma to unknown candidates. Olga Zastrozhnaya suggested that in such cases it is necessary not to transfer the mandate, but to generally take it away from the party - let the gullible electorate not be fooled by ministers and governors in the first places.
Nevertheless, election officials have come up with ways to save money on voting. One of the points in the note discussed proposed establishing two election days a year for the entire country: the third Sunday in March and the first Sunday in October. Let the people get used to always electing someone these days: either the heads of regions, or deputies of the local assembly, or even the president of the country himself.
Finally, the Tsikovites decided to fight for women's rights. Elena Dubrovina proposed introducing a quota: at least 30% of the party list should be women, “like in civilized countries.” The election commission members, heated by previous discussions, gathered and argued with each other, but Ms. Zastrozhnaya reminded that “such proposals have already been made, and the male composition of the Duma rejects them every time when voting.”
The two-hour debate ended with the almost unanimous adoption of the note; only Evgeniy Kolyushin, who did not want to come to terms with the rigid proportional system, remained with a dissenting opinion. It is expected that the legislative changes developed on the basis of the note will be adopted in December at the latest. As the head of the Central Election Commission, Alexander Veshnyakov, explained, in this case the parties will have three whole years to prepare for the elections under the new rules.
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“One unit in the State Duma is nothing today”
Oleg KOVALEV, deputy of the United Russia faction, chairman of the Committee on Rules and Organization of Work of the State Duma :
- Both majoritarian and proportional systems have the right to life. But for Russia, in my opinion, today it is better to switch to a proportional election system. Now we have only a dozen independent deputies in the Duma, and we elected 225 in single-mandate constituencies. They joined some factions, because one in the State Duma today is nothing. Only within the framework of a certain group can a deputy today defend the interests of voters.
Gennady GUDKOV, chairman of the People's Party, member of the United Russia faction in the State Duma :
- We are against the proportional election system at this stage of social development. In the virtual absence of a second chamber of parliament, this election system will limit to the limit the interests of regions in the country's highest legislative body. Today, Russian parties do not have a clearly expressed point of view and their own identity; deputies elected from lists are not tied to any land, and, therefore, do not know the real problems of the people in these territories.
Ivan MELNIKOV, First Deputy Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation :
- So far there is no clear opinion in our party regarding the transition to a new electoral system. And the position will be developed only after a broad internal party discussion. Natalia ROZHKOVA |
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