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 citizen of the Russian Federation in the election shall be free and voluntary. Nobody shall exert any influence on a citizen of the Russian Federation in order to compel him/her to participate or not to participate in the election and on a free expression of a citizen's will.

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

Legislation on the election of deputies of the State Duma shall comprise the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the Federal Law «On Basic Guarantees of Electoral Rights and the Right of Citizens of the Russian Federation to Participate in a Referendum», this Federal Law and other federal laws.

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-mandate electoral districts (one district - one deputy) to be formed on the basis of a unified quota of voters' representation in single-mandate electoral districts, with the exception of electoral districts formed in the Subjects of the Russian Federation where the number of voters is less than the unified quota of representation. The unified quota of the voters' representation in a single-mandate electoral district shall be determined by dividing the total number of voters residing in the territory of the Russian Federation and registered in the Russian Federation under the Federal Law «On Basic Guarantees of Electoral Rights and the Right of Citizens of the Russian Federation to Participate in a Referendum» by the total number (225) of single-mandate 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 federal lists of candidates for election to the State Duma nominated by electoral associations, electoral blocs.

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

1. A citizen of the Russian Federation 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 citizen of the Russian Federation who has attained to the age of 18 years on voting day and permanently or currently· resides in the territory of the given electoral district shall be entitled to elect a deputy of the State Duma in a single-mandate electoral district.

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

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

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

6. A citizen of the Russian Federation found incapable by a court or kept in places of confinement under a court sentence shall have no right to elect or be elected.

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

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

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. A decision to call the election shall be taken not earlier than five months and not later than four months prior to voting day. Voting day in the election of deputies of the State Duma shall be the first Sunday after the day of expiration of the constitutional term for which the State Duma of the previous convocation was elected. The constitutional period for which the State Duma is elected shall begin from the day of its election as a competent body. A decision to call the election shall be officially published in the mass media not later than 5 days after its adoption.

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 conducted by the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation on the first or second Sunday of a month, which follows the month in which the powers of the State Duma expire. A decision of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation to hold the election shall be published not later than seven days from the day on which the term for official publication of a decision to call the election established by Clause 2 of this Article expires.

4. When dissolving the State Duma in cases and in a manner 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 expiration of three months from the day on which the State Duma was dissolved. The decision to call 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 dissolution of the State Duma, the election of deputies of the State Duma shall be conducted by the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation on the first or second Sunday after expiration of three months from the day on which the State Duma was dissolved. The decision of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation to hold the election shall be published not later than 7 days from the day on which the term for official publication of a decision to call the election established by Clause 4 of this Article expires.

6. In the cases provided by Clauses 4 and 5 of this Article the periods 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 holiday, a day before or after a holiday, the election shall be called on the next Sunday.

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

Candidates for election to the State Duma (hereafter «candidates») may be nominated by voters of the appropriate single-mandate electoral district or may nominate themselves by self-nomination. Candidates, lists of candidates may also be nominated by electoral associations, 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, measures to ensure the realization and protection of the electoral rights of citizens and the control over their observance shall be entrusted to election commissions within the scope of their powers laid down by this Federal Law, other federal laws.

2. During the preparation and conduct of the election of deputies of the State Duma election commissions within the scope of their powers laid down by this Federal Law, other federal laws shall be independent of the bodies of state power and local self-government. These bodies shall not interfere in the activities of the commissions.

3. Decisions and acts of election commissions adopted by them within the scope of the powers vested in them by this Federal Law, other federal laws shall be binding upon federal executive bodies, executive bodies of Subjects of the Russian Federation, state institutions, bodies of local self-government, candidates, registered candidates, electoral associations, electoral blocs, public associations, organizations, officials and voters.

4. When the election is being prepared and conducted election commissions shall be entitled to use the state automated information system to inform voters about the progress and results of the election, search for, acquire, replenish, process, transmit and store the information used in the course of the preparation and conduct of the election, provide information support for election commissions acting within the scope of powers vested in them by this Federal Law, federal constitutional laws, other federal laws.

Article 8. Right to Election Campaigning

1. The State shall make it possible for citizens of the Russian Federation, political public associations freely to conduct election campaigning in accordance with this Federal Law and other federal laws.

2. Citizens of the Russian Federation, political public associations may, in any form allowed by law and by legitimate methods, conduct election campaigning, i.e. the activities aimed to encourage or encouraging voters to participate in the election and to vote for or against any registered candidate, for or against any federal list of candidates registered with the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation.

3. Equal conditions of access to the mass media shall be guaranteed to registered candidates for election to the State Duma (hereafter «registered candidates») and to electoral associations, 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 from the funds allocated from the federal budget.

2. Candidates for election to the State Duma, electoral associations, electoral blocs shall set up their own electoral funds for financing their election campaign.

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

1. The preparation and conduct of the election of deputies of the State Duma shall be performed openly and publicly.

2. All normative acts of the election commissions, bodies of state power and bodies of local self-government relating to the preparation and conduct of the election shall be published; other decisions of these bodies relating to the preparation and conduct of the election shall be made public in some other manner.

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

Foreign citizens, stateless persons, foreign legal entities shall not carry on any activities which help or impede nomination, registration of candidates (list of candidates), election of registered candidates.

ОГЛАВЛЕНИЕ | След. »»

ПУБЛИКАЦИИ ИРИС

ВЫБОРЫ И ЖУРНАЛИСТСКОЕ РАССЛЕДОВАНИЕ

Автор: ИРИС
Форма выпуска: Книга

Задача журналиста – не только освещать выборы, но и быть настороже относительно всех возможных манипуляций и подтасовок, которые могут использоваться для того, чтобы ввести в заблуждение избирателей, защита права которых на достоверную информацию является профессиональным долгом журналиста.

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