New regions to vote in Russia’s next presidential election

Russia’s Central Election Commission has adopted a resolution on the participation of the Russian regions under martial law in the next presidential election.

The CEC made the decision following consultations with the Defense Ministry, the Federal Security Service (FSB) and the leaders of the four new regions.  

CEC Deputy Chairman Nikolai Bulayev said that participation in the election was limited for the areas where martial law was in operation. However, the Commission received letters from the heads of the new territories saying that “they believed that it is possible to hold the election in their regions,” as well as conclusions of the Defense Ministry and the FSB.

“We cannot ignore the position of the heads of the four Russian regions, nor the letters from the top Defense Ministry and FSB officials,” he said adding that the decision put huge responsibility on all the parties.

“But if we decide otherwise, the majority of the people living there (in the new regions) will be bewildered, and the majority of the people living in our country won’t understand us,” he said. “In actual fact, the Commission’s decision must give the opportunity to residents of the LPR, the DPR and the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions “to vote for their president, the president of the country in which they live today.”

The CEC will provide all possible assistance to its colleagues in the new regions in arranging the vote, even though the colleagues are quite skilled and already have an experience in organizing ballot-casting in accordance with Russian laws, the CEC deputy chairman said.

A federal law states that the CEC makes the decision on the election in the territories under martial law (the LPR, the DPR and the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions) in coordination with the Russian Defense Ministry, the Federal Security Service and the heads of the four regions.

Last week, the Federation Council upper house of the Russian parliament set the Russian presidential election for March 17, 2024. Voting will be held on March 15, 16 and 17, the CEC said.

On Sunday, LPR Head Leonid Pasechnik said that all necessary security measures would be taken during the vote and that the Republic would use its experience in holding elections in wartime.*i*sb