Press Release, 30.10.2021

Photo: Lev Shlosberg and Artur Gaiduk / Photo by the Press Service of the Pskov branch of Yabloko

Deputies of the Pskov Regional Assembly by a majority vote rejected the Yabloko bill, which envisaged relieve candidates for the post of the head of the region, nominated by parliamentary parties, from the need to collect signatures of municipal deputies and heads of municipalities in support of their nomination. Four parliamentarians voted for the initiative, 16 against, and three abstained.

Today, candidates for the post of the head of the region must submit in their support the signatures of 5-10% of municipal deputies and heads of municipalities elected in direct elections. This practice was introduced in Russia in 2012 and is called the “municipal filter”.

The authors of the bill, Artur Gaiduk and Lev Shlosberg, proposed introducing a norm according to which candidates for the post of governor, nominated by parties represented in the State Duma and regional parliaments, should not collect signatures in support of their nomination.

It was proposed to introduce these norms on behalf of the Regional Assembly to the State Duma of Russia in order to amend federal laws. The draft law received a positive opinion from the legal department of the Pskov Regional Assembly.

According to the authors of the initiative, since 2012, the gubernatorial elections have demonstrated numerous examples of political manipulation and pressure on signatories, which negatively affected both public attitude to the institute of elections and the state of local self-government institutions.

In fact, the “municipal filter” represents an “administrative filter”, it provides the illusion of a competitive election, and prevents the admission to elections of candidates who are undesirable for the current authorities, the authors of the legislative initiative believe.

The current model of the “municipal filter” does not guarantee the election of the governor on a broad alternative basis and in conditions of real political competition,” the explanatory note to the bill runs.

Such a bill had already been introduced to the Assembly by the deputy from the Yabloko faction Lev Shlosberg in the previous convocation of the regional parliament, but even then it was not supported by a majority of votes.

The Pskov branch of Yabloko intends to once again initiate a change in the “municipal filter” through the regional Assembly. The Regulations of the Assembly allow this to be done again after a six months period.