NOVOSIBIRSK, July 6 session on Thursday recognized the issue proposed for submission to a referendum on the return of direct elections of heads of local authorities to be inconsistent with federal and regional laws, the decision will be sent to the regional election commission, a correspondent reports.
“Recognize the issue proposed for submission to the regional referendum of the Novosibirsk Region … as not meeting the requirements of paragraph 2 of Article 12 of the Federal Law of June 12, 2002 No. 67-FZ “On Basic Guarantees of Electoral Rights and the Right to Participate in a Referendum of Citizens of the Russian Federation” and paragraph 1 of Article 4 Law of the Novosibirsk Region of May 25, 2004 No. 180-OZ «On the Regional Referendum of the Novosibirsk Region». Send this resolution to the election commission of the Novosibirsk Region,» the draft resolution of the regional parliament adopted at the session says.
«The decision has been made,» said Andriy Shymkiv, Chairman of the Legislative Assembly, following a vote in which 44 deputies voted for the proposed draft resolution, two deputies voted against, and 13 deputies abstained. Before the vote, he noted that the issue was «not a political one, but a legal one.»
The head of the Communist Party faction in the regional parliament, Roman Yakovlev, said before the vote that the faction would not vote against holding a referendum because of the «legal component», however, in general, he favors direct elections of heads of municipalities and promised that if he wins in the upcoming September gubernatorial elections The first issue that the party will bring to the Legislative Assembly will be the return of direct elections. In turn, LDPR deputy Alexander Shcherbak called the initiation of the question of a referendum an attempt by «a stale opposition cell to shake off the dust.»
Earlier, for the third time, an initiative group of public activists handed over documents to the election commission of the Novosibirsk region on holding a referendum on the restoration of direct elections of heads of municipalities in the region. The regional election committee, in turn, submitted the documents to the Legislative Assembly to resolve the issue of compliance of the issue proposed for submission to a referendum with the requirements of federal and regional legislation.
As reported, the Legislative Assembly of the Novosibirsk region at the session on February 20 this year, in two readings, adopted a bill on amendments to the regional law, which envisages the abolition of direct elections of mayors of Novosibirsk and the science city of Koltsovo. In other municipalities, direct election of heads was abolished earlier. On April 26, the Council of Deputies of Novosibirsk introduced amendments to the city charter regarding the abolition of direct elections of the mayor of the city.