RBC: Putin can declare early governor elections in seven regions

In the next month, Vladimir Putin, at the request of governors, may announce early election campaigns that will take place this fall on a single voting day, RBC reports with reference to sources close to the Kremlin, as well as a source in the State Duma. In total, for this year, the presidential administration planned the holding of governor's elections in about 20 regions.

Initially, in 2015, the elections should have passed in only ten regions (taking into account the abolition of direct voting in the Khanty -Mansi Autonomous Okrug and Yamalo -Nenets Autonomous Okrug). In September last year and March of this, early elections were announced in three more subjects of the Federation - the Bryansk, Sakhalin and Amur regions. At least five to seven will be added to these 13 regions, the interlocutor of the agency, close to the Kremlin, explained. According to him, the final voting schedule will depend on how much the situation in one or another regions will seem to the Kremlin unprincipled.

According to him, the country's leadership, like a year ago, has a desire to unload from the 2016-2018 elections (during this period the State Duma and the President will be elected). In the Kremlin at that time they want to focus on the federal campaign and not spend strength on the governor's elections.

Last year, the elections were also accelerated - instead of planned 11 regions, governors were elected at 30.

The permutations in the Bryansk, Sakhalin and Amur regions were associated with corruption scandals (ex-governor Sakhalin Alexander Khoroshavin is under investigation, the retired Governor Nikolai Denin is a witness in a criminal case). But in most regions where they plan to appoint early elections, it will not be about the change of the governor, but his re -election, the interlocutor close to the presidential administration explained. The opportunity to re -elect will mainly receive those heads of the regions whom the Kremlin considers worthy to leave at the post and who will be able to organize trouble -free elections and win, without casting doubt on the legitimacy of the campaign.