The annexed territories are determined by the quantitative composition of legislative assemblies

The authorities of the Kherson region are developing a normative legal act, which will specify the number of deputies in the Legislative Assembly, Marina Zakharova, chairman of the region’s election commission, told Vedomosti. The question of how many mandates are planned to be played in the elections is still being discussed, but it will be resolved in the very near future, she specified.

The interlocutor, close to the administration of the region, says that on a single day of voting “no more than 40, but not less than 30” deputies of the legislative assembly will be elected according to the proportional system. In the near future, the act regulating the quantitative composition of the Legislative Assembly of the Kherson region will be adopted, Zakharova added.

On March 14, acting governor of the Kherson region, Vladimir Saldo, told TASS that the number of seats in parliament “will be minimal – the fewer the better.”

It is planned to elect 40 deputies to the Legislative Assembly of the Zaporozhye region, Vladimir Rogov, a member of the main council of the regional administration, chairman of the movement “We are together with Russia,” told Vedomosti. Elections here will also be held according to party lists.

In accordance with the constitution of the DPR adopted on December 30, 2022, in connection with the region’s accession to the Russian Federation, the parliament will consist of 90 deputies. Before the DPR was admitted to Russia, 100 deputies were elected to the legislature of the unrecognized republic.

The new constitution of the LPR left unchanged the quantitative composition of the parliament – both during the proclaimed independence and after joining Russia in September 2022, it will include 50 deputies. On January 23, Vedomosti reported that the elections in the DPR and LPR would be held according to the proportional system.

The heads of all new regions will be elected by deputies of legislative assemblies.

Russia has the most complete control over the LNR and the DNR. The Russian authorities in the Zaporozhye region are located in Melitopol, in the Kherson region – in Genichesk.

“In Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, it would really be strange to chase a large number of deputies,” says political analyst Yevgeny Minchenko. “Besides, physically you just need to find these candidates somewhere, so the story is very difficult.”

The number of deputies in the parliaments of the new regions is, by Russian standards, quite normal and expected, says political analyst Rostislav Turovsky. “But since elections are held for the first time under the new rules, there are elements of reinsurance. It is clear that the selection of candidates will be rigorous. Therefore, one should not expect too many deputies,” he said.

Turovsky added that the DPR “is simply bringing its parliament into line with Russian law.” “If they counted from 1 million to 2 million voters, then 90 is just the upper limit,” the expert specified. The number of voters in the new territories is not published on the CEC website.

Each region determines the specific number of its parliamentarians independently, within the limits established at the federal level, says political strategist Oleg Zakharov. According to him, for the four new territories, obviously, due to objective reasons, it will be necessary to use not exact, but approximate figures.

At the same time, the law on public authority has a mechanism for checking and adjusting the number of regional deputies on the eve of re-elections, Zakharov clarifies. “And by the next regular elections of the parliaments of the new territories, the number of deputies can be rechecked and updated, the law provides for this,” he concluded.