Deputies of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation (hereafter «deputies of the State Duma») shall be elected by citizens of the Russian Federation on the basis of universal, equal and direct suffrage by secret ballot. Participation of a Russian Federation citizen in the election shall be free and voluntary. Nobody shall compel a Russian Federation citizen to participate or not to participate in the election or shall prevent free expression of his will .

Article 2. Legislation on the Election of Deputies of the State Duma

1. The legislation on the election of deputies of the State Duma is formed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, Federal Law No. 67-FZ of June 12, 2002 «On Basic Guarantees of the Electoral Rights and the Right of Citizens of the Russian Federation to Participate in a Referendum» (hereafter «Federal Law `On Basic Guarantees of the Electoral Rights and the Right of Citizens of the Russian Federation to Participate in a Referendum'»), this Federal Law, other federal laws.

2. The main concepts and terms used in this Federal Law shall have the same meaning as in the Federal Law «On Basic Guarantees of the Electoral Rights and the Right of Citizens of the Russian Federation to Participate in a Referendum,» unless otherwise provided by this Federal Law.

Article 3. Elections to the State Duma

1. Under the Constitution of the Russian Federation 450 deputies shall be elected to the State Duma.

2. Two hundred and twenty five deputies of the State Duma shall be elected in single-seat electoral districts (one district - one deputy) to be formed on the basis of a uniform quota of voters' representation for single-seat electoral districts, with the exception of electoral districts in the Russian Federation subjects where the number of voters is less than the uniform representation quota. The uniform quota of voters' representation for a single-seat electoral district shall be determined by dividing the total number of voters residing on the territory of the Russian Federation and registered in the Russian Federation in accordance with the Federal Law «On Basic Guarantees of the Electoral Rights and the Right of Citizens of the Russian Federation to Participate in a Referendum» by the total number (225) of single-seat electoral districts.

3. Two hundred and twenty five deputies of the State Duma shall be elected in the federal electoral district in proportion to the number of votes cast for a federal lists of candidates nominated by political parties, electoral blocs.

Article 4. Electoral Rights of a Russian Federation Citizen at the Election of Deputies of the State Duma

1. A Russian Federation citizen who has attained to the age of 18 years on voting day shall be entitled to elect deputies of the State Duma in the federal electoral district.

2. A Russian Federation citizen who has attained to the age of 18 years on voting day and whose place of residence is within the territory of a relevant electoral district shall be entitled to elect a deputy of the State Duma in a single-seat electoral district.

3. A Russian Federation citizen who has attained to the age of 18 years on voting day shall be entitled to participate in the nomination of candidates for election to the State Duma and lists of candidates, in the election campaigning, in the monitoring of the conduct of the election and the work of election commissions, including determination of vote returns and establishment of election results, and in the performance of other electoral actions, in the procedure established by this Federal Law, other federal laws.

4. Eligible for election as a deputy of the State Duma shall be a Russian Federation citizen who has attained to the age of 21 years on voting day.

5. A Russian Federation citizen who resides or stays outside the territory of the Russian Federation during the preparation and conduct of the election shall have the same electoral rights as other citizens of the Russian Federation at the election of deputies of the State Duma.

6. A Russian Federation citizen shall not be entitled to the right to elect or be elected or participate in other electoral actions if he has been declared by a court to be incapable or is held in custody under a court sentence.

7. A Russian Federation citizen deprived of the right to occupy state offices for a definite period by a court decision which has come into force shall not be registered as a candidate for election to the State Duma if the voting at the election of deputies of the State Duma is to take place before the expiry of the period established by the court.

Article 5. Calling of the Election of Deputies of the State Duma

1. The conduct of the election of deputies of the State Duma within the period established by the Constitution of the Russian Federation and this Federal Law shall be obligatory.

2. Under the Constitution of the Russian Federation the election of deputies of the State Duma of a new convocation shall be called by the President of the Russian Federation. The decision to call the election shall be taken not earlier than 110 days and not later than 90 days before voting day. Voting day at the election of deputies of the State Duma shall be the second Sunday of the month in which the constitutional term of the State Duma of the previous convocation expires. The constitutional term for which the State Duma is to be elected shall commence from the day of its election. The day of the election of the State Duma shall be the day of voting as a result of which it was elected as a competent body. The decision to call the election shall be officially published in the mass media not later than five days after it was taken.

3. If the President of the Russian Federation does not call the election of deputies of the State Duma within the period indicated in Clause 2 of this article, the election of deputies of the State Duma shall be called and conducted by the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation on the first or second Sunday of the month which follows the month in which the constitutional term of the State Duma of the previous convocation expires. The decision of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation to call the election shall be published not later than seven days after the expiry of the period established by Clause 2 of this article for the official publication of the decision to call the election.

4. When dissolving the State Duma in the cases and in the procedure provided by the Constitution of the Russian Federation the President of the Russian Federation shall simultaneously call an early election of deputies of the State Duma of a new convocation. In this case voting day shall be the last Sunday before the day on which three months expire from the day of the dissolution of the State Duma. The decision to call an early election shall be officially published in the mass media not later than five days from the day when it was taken.

5. If the President of the Russian Federation does not call the election of deputies of the State Duma of a new convocation after the dissolution of the State Duma, the election of deputies of the State Duma shall be called and conducted by the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation on the first or second Sunday after the expiry of thee months from the day of the dissolution of the State Duma. The decision of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation to call the election shall be published not later than seven days after the expiry of the period established by Clause 4 of this article for the official publication of the decision to call the election.

6. In the cases provided by Clauses 4 and 5 of this article the periods for the performance of electoral actions established by this Federal Law shall be reduced by one-fourth.

7. If the Sunday on which the election is to be held coincides with a day preceding a holiday, or a holiday, or a day following a holiday or if this Sunday has been declared a working day in the established procedure, the election shall be held on the next Sunday.

Article 6. The Right to Nominate Candidates for Election to the State Duma

1. Candidates for election to the State Duma (hereafter «candidates») may be nominated directly as well as on a federal list of candidates.

2. Direct nomination of candidates may be carried out by way of self-nomination and by way of nomination by a political party, electoral bloc.

3. Nomination of candidates on a federal list of candidates may be carried out by political parties which are entitled under Federal Law No. 95-FZ of July 11, 2001 «On Political Parties « (hereafter «Federal Law `On Political Parties'») to participate in the election and nominate lists of candidates (hereafter «political parties») and by electoral blocs.

Article 7. Preparation and Conduct of the Election of Deputies of the State Duma by Election Commissions

1. The preparation and conduct of the election of deputies of the State Duma, the measures to ensure the realization and protection of the electoral rights of citizens and control over the observance of these rights shall be carried out by election commissions within the scope of their competence laid down by this Federal Law, other federal laws.

2. When preparing and conducting the election of deputies of the State Duma election commissions shall, within the scope of their competence laid down by this Federal Law, other federal laws, be independent of the bodies of state power and bodies of local self-government. Any interference in the activity of election commissions on the part of the legislative (representative) and executive bodies of state power, bodies of local self-government, officials, other persons shall not be allowed.

3. The decisions and acts of election commissions adopted by them within the scope of their competence laid down by this Federal Law, other federal laws shall be binding upon the federal bodies of executive power, bodies of executive power of the Russian Federation subjects, state bodies and institutions, bodies of local self-government, candidates, registered candidates, political parties, electoral blocs, public associations, organizations, officials and voters.

4. When preparing and conducting the election of deputies of the State Duma election commissions may use the state automated information system to inform voters about the progress of the preparation and conduct of the election and about the election results, to search for, acquire, replenish, process, transmit and store the information used in the course of the preparation and conduct of the election and provide informational support for the activities of election commissions carried out within the scope of their competence laid down by this Federal Law, other federal laws.

Article 8. Right to Election Campaigning

1. Citizens of the Russian Federation, political parties, other public associations may conduct election campaigning in any form allowed by law, using lawful methods.

2. In this Federal Law election campaigning means the activities which are carried out during an election campaign and are aimed to encourage or are encouraging voters to vote for or against a candidate, candidates, list of candidates or against all candidates (against all lists of candidates).

3. The state shall assure for citizens of the Russian Federation, political parties, other public associations the freedom to conduct election campaigning in accordance with this Federal Law, other federal laws.

4. Equal conditions of access to the mass media for election campaigning shall be guaranteed to registered candidates, to political parties and electoral blocs which registered their federal lists of candidates.

Article 9. Funding of the Election of Deputies of the State Duma

1. Expenses on the preparation and conduct of the election of deputies of the State Duma shall be paid out of the funds allocated from the federal budget.

2. Candidates, political parties, electoral blocs shall form their own electoral funds to finance their election campaign.

Article 10. Public Preparation and Conduct of the Election of Deputies of the State Duma

1. The election of deputies of the State Duma shall be prepared and conducted openly and publicly.

2. The regulations of election commissions, bodies of state power and bodies of local self-government directly relating to the preparation and conduct of the election shall be published in state and municipal print media. Other decisions of these bodies directly relating to the preparation and conduct of the election shall be published or shall be made public in some other manner.

Article 11. Inadmissibility of Participation in Election Campaigns of Foreign Nationals, Stateless Persons and Foreign Legal Entities

Foreign nationals, stateless persons, foreign legal entities shall not engage in any activities which help or impede the nomination and registration of candidates (list of candidates), election of registered candidates.

ОГЛАВЛЕНИЕ | След. »»

ПУБЛИКАЦИИ ИРИС

СМИ И ПРЕДСТОЯЩИЕ ВЫБОРЫ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА РОССИИ В 2000 ГОДУ

Автор: ИРИС - МФИС
Форма выпуска: Книга

Издание подготовлено МФИС и ИРИС совместно с Национальным институтом прессы в сотрудничестве с ЦИК РФ. – М.: «Права человека», 2000

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