The Communist Party of the Russian Federation proposes to deprive foreigners of the right to participate in municipal elections
State Duma deputies from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation Mikhail Matveev, Alexey Kurinny and Sergei Obukhov on Wednesday introduced into the lower house a bill banning foreigners from participating in local government elections and local referendums. Corresponding amendments have been proposed to the federal laws “On Basic Guarantees of Electoral Rights and the Right to Participate in Referendums of Citizens of the Russian Federation” and “On the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens in the Russian Federation.”
Current legislation gives foreigners permanently residing in Russia the right to elect and be elected to local government bodies. “Foreign citizens have the right to vote in local municipal elections and even to stand as candidates on the basis of international treaties, which in the context of modern challenges, work to combat illegal migration and threats seems unjustified,” says the explanatory note to the bill. Russia has concluded such agreements with Armenia, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan, deputies note.
Let us recall that on February 16, 2023, the Duma denounced the European Charter of Local Self-Government, and on May 6, 2024, it adopted a law banning persons included in the Ministry of Justice’s register of foreign agents from participating in elections at all levels.
Chairman of the State Duma Committee on State Construction and Legislation Pavel Krasheninnikov (United Russia) did not comment on the CPRF initiative on its merits, explaining to Kommersant that there is now an internal agreement between the Duma committees not to consider bills relating to the municipal level of government until the adoption of a new version of the law about local self-government. Let us remind you that this document was approved in the first reading back in January 2022. Recently, the chamber decided to return to its consideration: the deadline for submitting amendments to the second reading was extended until October 22, and the final adoption of the law is expected at the end of the autumn session.
