“United Russia” faced difficulties in canceling the election of the mayor of Novosibirsk

United Russia in the city council of Novosibirsk is forming a coalition of non-factional deputies to amend the charter to cancel the mayoral election. Amendments require a qualified majority of deputies – 34 (two-thirds), while there are only 28 United Russia members in the City Council.

The Communist Party faction, consisting of seven people, does not support the abolition of the mayoral elections and will vote against the relevant amendments, Anton Tyrtyshny, chairman of the deputy association, told Vedomosti. “There are simply no other options,” he said.

The chairman of the City Council and the United Russia faction, Dmitry Asantsev, told Vedomosti that “the positions of the deputies are already clear at the moment: who supports [отмену выборов мэра]who does not support. “According to my feelings, 34 votes [в поддержку поправок] will be,” he says.

If the vote to cancel the election of the mayor of Novosibirsk still fails, the court will intervene, Asantsev added. “We, in fact, are obliged to comply with the law of the Novosibirsk region. If we do not vote, we will be forced to do so through the courts. Then there will be some delay in time, but we will do it at the latest at the September session, ”the chairman of the City Council explained.

On February 20, the Legislative Assembly of the Novosibirsk Region adopted a law on the abolition of the election of the mayor of Novosibirsk and the science city of Koltsovo. In Koltsovo, a simple majority of votes was enough to make a decision, but United Russia still had to ask for help from representatives of other factions.

According to local media, the cancellation of the elections was supported by the majority of United Russia (two representatives of the ruling party still abstained from voting), the Liberal Democratic Party, the Pensioners’ Party, two representatives of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation and a number of non-factional deputies. Against was the majority of representatives of the Communist Party faction, “New People” and “Fair Russia”.

Before considering amendments to the charter of Novosibirsk on the abolition of the mayoral elections, the city council will submit them to public hearings. The corresponding decision is planned to be taken at the meeting on March 22. The public hearings themselves are scheduled for April 11, follows from the draft decision of the City Council. They will be held in the large hall of the Novosibirsk City Hall, local residents will be asked to send comments and suggestions to the organizing committee until April 5.

Political scientist Alexander Kynev believes that there will be no problems with ensuring the vote for the abolition of the election of the mayor of Novosibirsk in the City Council: “When a political decision is made, it will be provided.” Political scientist Rostislav Turovsky agrees with him. “I think that bargaining with a part of the deputies regarding the support of the amendments is inevitable. Various concessions are possible. But in the end, they will be able to find the right number of votes, as they were able to do in the no less difficult Tomsk before,” he told Vedomosti. The election of the mayor of Tomsk was canceled on October 27, 2022.

Consultant Vasily Damov recalls that the current convocation of the City Council “has repeatedly demonstrated that conversations are conversations, but if the motherland says what is necessary, then it will be necessary.” In particular, the last two reports of Mayor Anatoly Lokot were “easily accepted” by more than 30 votes, the city’s budget for 2023 was supported by 41 deputies.

“And this is on much less politically fundamental issues. Therefore, I think that colleagues from the domestic policy block [губернатора Новосибирской области Андрея] Travnikov, there are “arguments” for both communists and independents. In the end, they will have to report to the voters for this decision only after a few years when they are re-elected, and the punishment for the “wrong” vote, which does not correspond to the spirit of the political moment, can overtake a little faster, ”Damov told Vedomosti.

Novosibirsk is the last million-plus city where the mayor is directly elected by residents.