The pressure on the filter was increased – Newspaper Kommersant No. 52 (7497) of 03/28/2023

The opposition of the Legislative Assembly of the Altai Territory is making a second attempt to reduce the municipal filter (the mandatory number of signatures of municipal deputies) in the gubernatorial elections. Such a bill was introduced by the Just Russia – For Truth (SRZP) faction, and in April it can be considered by deputies. The Russians also propose to allow the participants of the gubernatorial elections to self-nominate. According to the party, this will enable the opposition to nominate a single candidate. Earlier, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation made a proposal to reduce the filter. However, both at that time and this time, United Russia members, who have a majority in parliament, are skeptical about the initiative. The expert does not believe in the passage of amendments either.

The SRZP faction submitted a bill to the Legislative Assembly of the Altai Territory, which provides for a change in the regional Code on Elections and Referendums. According to the press service of the regional branch of the party, the document contains two important amendments related to the gubernatorial elections: one allows self-nomination, the second reduces the number of signatures of the “upper” level municipalities (deputies and heads of city and municipal districts) from 10% to 5%. , as well as districts) necessary for registration of a candidate. Recall that the election of the head of the Altai Territory will be held this September.

Now the code allows running for the head of the region only from political parties. To overcome the so-called municipal filter, candidates need to collect signatures from 7% of the total number of municipalities (both “upper” and “lower” levels – heads and deputies of urban and rural settlements). At the same time, autographs of the “upper” level must cover at least three-quarters of the municipalities.

“The absence of the institution of self-nomination prevents the nomination of a single candidate from the opposition, who could be supported by various political forces without prejudice to their rating,” Alexander Molotov, head of the SRZP faction, explained the initiative. According to the party, the amendments will allow the opposition forces to nominate a single candidate for governor and by joint efforts independently overcome the municipal filter.

The press service of the Legislative Assembly explained to Kommersant that the bill could be submitted for consideration by the session in April. There are 68 deputies in the current convocation of the Legislative Assembly of the Altai Territory. The United Russia faction (ER) has 32 mandates, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation has 21, the SRZP has 5, the Communists of Russia and the Liberal Democratic Party have 4 mandates each. To pass the bill, it is necessary to collect 35 votes – a majority of the established number of deputies.

As Kommersant previously reported, in January the Legislative Assembly had already considered a bill from the Communist Party faction to reduce the total municipal filter from 7% to 5%. The initiative was then supported by 30 deputies, including the SRZP faction.

“We are always for the reduction of all artificial barriers in elections. This is especially true for reducing the municipal filter. I think we will support, ”Igor Artsibashev, deputy head of the Communist Party faction, commented to Kommersant on the initiative of the Socialist-Revolutionaries. At the same time, the expediency of self-nomination aroused doubts in him. The communist suggested that United Russia would be able to take advantage of this opportunity and nominate its own candidate under the guise of a self-nominated candidate. “The Socialist-Revolutionaries have never had a real task of uniting with the Communist Party of the Russian Federation,” he commented on the prospects for nominating a single candidate from the opposition.

“There has not yet been a meeting of the faction on this issue, but at the moment, knowing the mood of our deputies, we are inclined to support this bill. We believe that any citizen has the right to be nominated and to be elected,” Sergei Matasov, head of the Communists of Russia faction, told Kommersant. The politician also supports the possibility of self-nomination.

United Russia does not change its position on the filter. “Despite the fact that the Socialist-Revolutionaries are making an interesting proposal to self-nominate a candidate, for some reason they are returning to the municipal filter,” Denis Goloborodko, deputy head of the United Russia faction, commented to Kommersant on the initiative. He also noted that the bill appeared on the eve of the start of the election campaign, and its authors “announced a broad discussion of the amendments and called on the opposition to unite, thereby raising the degree of discussion.”

Political strategist Konstantin Lukin considers the likelihood of the bill being adopted is extremely low, since it will obviously not be supported by the United Russia. “Even a simple reduction of the filter to 5% does not give opposition parties the opportunity to pass the municipal filter without the help of United Russia,” he said. According to Mr. Lukin’s forecast, “the possibility of uniting the opposition, if it does sound, is more like a slogan than something real.”

Valery Lavsky, Novosibirsk