Novosibirsk approved amendments to the charter on the abolition of direct mayoral elections

The deputies of the city council adopted in two readings the introduction of amendments to the charter of Novosibirsk, according to which direct elections of the mayor will be canceled. About it says on the City Council website.

“As for the next elections of the mayor of the city of Novosibirsk, the mayor of the city will be elected by the Council of Deputies of the city of Novosibirsk. First, the candidates will go through the competition commission, they will be selected, and then these candidates will present their programs at the session of the Council of Deputies. And the deputies will decide who will govern the city in a 5-year period of time,” said Dmitry Asantsev, chairman of the Novosibirsk City Council.

In addition, amendments were made to the charter on the early deprivation of powers of deputies who did not attend meetings for six months in a row. According to TASS, for the adoption of changes voted 38 deputies, against – 6.

February 20 Legislative Assembly of the Novosibirsk Region accepted a draft law on the abolition of direct elections for the post of mayor of Novosibirsk and the science city of Koltsovo. The law will enter into force after the expiration of the powers of the acting mayors of Novosibirsk and the science city of Koltsovo, Anatoly Lokt and Nikolai Krasnikov. The next elections are to be held in 2024.

So far, Novosibirsk has been the last million-plus city in Russia to host direct elections. Now they are preserved only in Khabarovsk, Anadyr, Abakan, Yakutsk and Ulan-Ude. In October 2022, the Legislative Duma of the Tomsk Region canceled the direct elections of the regional center, now the head of the city will be elected by a competition commission.