Press Release, 24.07.2023

Photo: Initiators the referendum Mikhail Popov and Yaroslav Shcherbakov / Photo by the Chelyabinsk Yabloko

The Electoral Commission of the Chelyabinsk Region registered the initiative of the Yabloko party on a referendum on the return of elections mayors and heads of districts in the Chelyabinsk Region. Direct elections of mayors were abolished in the region in 2010, and elected posts of mayors replaced by appointed city-managers.

The Electoral Commission found that the documents on holding a referendum were made in compliance with the law. However, verification of the documents by the Regional Electoral Commission is only the first stage on the way to holding a referendum.

The next stage is the transfer of the documents to the Legislative Assembly of the Chelyabinsk Region, which is obliged, within five days, to notify the President of the RF, the Federation Council, the State Duma, the government and the Central Electoral Commission of the initiative, and also check the wording of the questions (which takes another 15 days).

After that, the organisers of the referendum will be able to open an account and collect signatures in support of the initiative.

“The issue concerns all residents of the South Urals living in cities and rural areas. The authorities removed us all from the elections of heads of cities and regions, replacing those elected for the posts by mere functionaries who are not responsible to the residents,” Yaroslav Shcherbakov, Chairman of the Chelyabinsk Yabloko, notes.