RUSSIAN FEDERATION

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GENERAL INFORMATION

Parliament (generic name):

Federalnoye Sobraniye

Translated name:

Federal Assembly

Structure:

Bicameral

Chamber:

Gossoudarstvennaya Duma

Translated name:

State Duma

President:

Boris V. Gryzlov ( M)

Secretary General:

Alexey A. Sigutkin ( M)

Members (statutory number):

450

directly elected

Members (current number):

450

Women (current number):

63 ( 14.00%)

Term:

4 years

Last renewal dates:

2 December 2007

Address:

State Duma
Okhotny Ryad, 1
MOSCOW 103265

Tel.: (7495) 692 30 57
Fax: (7495) 692 53 58
E-mail: stateduma@duma.gov.ru
dparlament@duma.gov.ru
Cable: State Duma, Moscow

Web site:

http://www.duma.gov.ru

http://www.duma.ru/

Affiliation to IPU:

Yes

Affiliation date(s):

1897 - 1914
1955

ELECTORAL SYSTEM

Electoral Law:

1 October 1993

Last amendment: 18/05/2005

Constituencies:

- One nationwide constituency for 450 seats

Voting System:

Proportional representation system
- 450 Deputies selected on the basis of party-list proportional representation from the country as a whole, considered as one nationwide constituency, using the Hare method (the simple quotient and greatest remainders) for distribution of remaining seats.
The threshold to win seats is 7%of the total vote, provided that at least two parties win seats and the combined vote of these parties is more than 60%of the total vote. If the total vote for parties passing the 7% threshold is 60% or less, then parties with less than 7% of the total vote are also taken into account in the allocation process, in descending order according to their votes, until the total vote for parties winning seats surpasses 60%. If one party wins more than 60% of the vote and the other parties obtain less than 7%, then the party with the second highest number of votes is also taken into account in the seat allocation process.
- Vacancies arising between general elections are filled by "next-in-line" candidates of the same party list.
- Voting is not compulsory.

Voter requirements:

- Russian citizenship
- Age: 18 years
- Disqualifications: legal incompetency, imprisonment following criminal conviction

Eligibility:

- Qualified electors
- Russian citizenship
- Age: 21 years
Ineligibilities: holding office or engaging in activity deemed incompatible with parliamentary status

Incompatibilities:

(not applicable)

Candidacy requirements:

- Candidacy must be submitted no later than 45 days before the polling day by registered political parties (up to 50% of each list can be made up by candidates who are not members of the party concerned);
- Parties represented in the outgoing legislature can field their candidates without collecting signatures or paying deposit;
- Parties which were not represented in the outgoing legislature should either collect 200,000 signatures (of which no more than 10,000 can come from any one oblast) or pay a deposit of 60 million rubles (approx. US$2.3 million). The deposit is reimbursed if the party wins at least 4 % of the total vote.

LAST ELECTIONS

Also available: Archive of past election results for this chamber

Dates of election / renewal (from/to):

2 December 2007

Purpose of elections:

Elections were held for all the seats of the State Duma on the normal expiry of the members' term of office.

Background and outcome of elections:

On 2 December 2007, elections to the State Duma, the Lower Chamber of the Russian Parliament, were held ahead of the country's presidential elections scheduled for March 2008.

The 2007 elections were the first to be held under the pure proportional representation system, replacing the previous mixed system. Under the new system, a party must obtain at least 7 per cent of the votes (up from five per cent) to win representation in the State Duma. The new electoral law also sets stricter criteria for party registration. Although 35 political parties applied to contest the 2007 elections, the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) registered only 11. Opposition parties argued that the measures prevented small parties from entering the parliament. President Vladimir Putin insisted the tougher standard stopped extremist parties from running for elections.

In the previous elections held in December 2003, President Putin's United Russia had won 223 seats. It was largely expected to win a comfortable majority in the 2007 elections.

Pre-election polls indicated only a few parties would surpass the 7 per cent threshold. In addition to the presidential United Russia party, they included the ultra-nationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), led by Duma Deputy Speaker, Mr. Vladimir Zhirinovsky; and "A Just Russia", led by Mr. Sergey M. Mironov, Chairman of the Council of the Federation (Upper Chamber). Among the opposition forces, only the Communist Party (KPRF) of Mr. Gennady Zyuganov was expected to fare well. Other opposition parties included the Russian United Democratic Party 'YABLOKO' of economist Mr. Grigory Yavlinsky, and the pro-Western Union of Right-Wing Forces (SPS), led by Nikita Belykh and former deputy prime minister Boris Nemtsov.

President Putin announced that he would head the United Russia list. Limited by the constitution to two presidential terms, Mr. Putin planned to become prime minister when he left office. Opposition parties feared that Mr. Putin and his allies would transfer some presidential powers to the prime minister so that Mr. Putin could maintain his influence. In mid-November, the SPS appealed to the Supreme Court to cancel President Putin's candidature to the State Duma. On 20 November, the Supreme Court rejected the appeal.

United Russia promised to promote the "Putin Plan", emphasizing the importance of the State's role in economic development and promising to further stabilize the economy. Russia's economy has benefited in recent years from high oil prices and rich natural gas and oil reserves. The LDPR argued that the country should implement an "aggressive" foreign policy to rebuild the "Russian Empire". "A Just Russia" called for stronger national defence, and led an anti-NATO campaign.

The KPRF, which has its stronghold in rural areas, promised to nationalize key industries and use the profits to provide free health care, education and affordable municipal housing as in the Soviet era. The YABLOKO called for "Freedom and Justice". The SPS called for economic and administrative reform, emphasizing the importance of building "a free, democratic, strong and humane State" that would be respected and "not feared".

On 24 November, a YABLOKO candidate died after being shot by an unidentified gunman three days earlier. On the same day, a prominent critic of the government and former chess champion, Mr. Garry Kasparov, was arrested for participating in an unauthorized protest against the decision to bar the opposition electoral coalition, "The Other Russia" from contesting the elections.

A total of 63.78 per cent of the country's 109 million registered voters turned out at the polls. Some 450,000 police officers were deployed to ensure security. Russian citizens in 140 countries were also able to vote. The KPRF alleged election irregularities and vowed to take the matter to court.

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) cancelled its plan to monitor the poll, accusing the Russian Government of making tardy visa arrangements for its observers. However, the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe monitored the polls, and concluded that the elections failed to meet the standards of democratic elections. They criticized in particular biased media coverage, which they deemed favoured the ruling party. The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Inter-Parliamentary Assembly praised the fact that the elections were "held openly".

According to the official results announced by the Central Electoral Commission, President Putin's United Russia party won 64.3 per cent of the votes, taking 315 seats in the new State Duma. The LDPR and "A Just Russia" won 40 and 38 seats respectively. The KPRF took the remainder. No other parties surpassed the 7 per cent threshold to win a seat.

On 24 December, the newly elected State Duma held its first session and re-elected Mr. Boris V. Gryzlov of United Russia as its Speaker.

STATISTICS


Round no 1 (2 December 2007): Election results

Number of registered electors		109'145'517
Voters		69'537'065 (63.71%)
Blank or invalid ballot papers		759'929
Valid votes		68'777'136

Round no 1: Distribution of votes

Political Group

Candidates

Votes

% of votes

United Russia

44'714'241

64.30

Communist Party (KPRF)

8'046'886

11.57

Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR)

5'660'823

8.14

A Just Russia

5'383'639

7.74

Round no 1: Distribution of seats

Political Group

Total of seats

United Russia

315

Communist Party (KPRF)

Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR)

A Just Russia

Comments:

Sources:
- http://www.cikrf.ru/eng/
- IPU Group (28.02.2008)

Distribution of seats according to sex:

Men:

387

Women:

Percent of women:

14.00

Distribution of seats according to age:

Distribution of seats according to profession:

PRESIDENCY OF THE PARLIAMENT

APPOINTMENT AND TERM OF OFFICE

Title:

Chairman of the State Duma

Term:

- duration: 4 years (term of House)
- reasons for interruption of the term: resignation, President's responsibility called into question, death, dissolution of the State Duma

Appointment:

- elected by all Deputies of the State Duma
- following validation of mandates

Eligibility:

- any Deputy may be a candidate

Voting system:

- formal vote by secret or public ballot
- a simple majority is required
- there may be several rounds of voting
- in case of a succession of votes, new candidates are admitted

Procedures / results:

- the oldest Deputy presides over the Duma during the voting
- the Committee of tellers supervises the voting
- the Committee of tellers announces the results without delay
- the results cannot be challenged

STATUS

Status:

- ranks 4th in the hierarchy of the State
- represents the Duma with the authorities
- represents the Duma in international bodies
- in the absence of the President, the First Vice-President or one of the other Vice-Presidents can assume his/her role and functions

Board:

- the Council of the Duma is regulated by the Standing Orders
- consists of the presidents of the political fractions and the presidents of the groups of Deputies
- currently has 8 members elected for 4 years
- usually meets twice weekly
- constitutes a true collegiate presidency

Material facilities:

- allowance 40 % higher than that for Deputies
- official car
- secretariat
- bodyguards

FUNCTIONS

Organization of parliamentary business:

(no role)

Chairing of public sittings:

- ensures respect for the provisions of the Constitution and Standing Orders
- makes announcements concerning the Duma
- takes disciplinary measures in the event of disturbance, and lifts such measures
- establishes the list of speakers, gives and withdraws permission to speak
- calls for a vote, decides how it is to be carried out, verifies the voting procedure and cancels a vote in the event of irregularities
- checks the quorum
- authenticates the texts adopted and the records of debates
- interprets the rules or other regulations governing the life of the Duma

Special powers:

- presides over the Council of the Duma which adopts that body's budget
- draws up the Duma's budget
- proposes the Secretary General to the Council of the Duma
- plays a specific role in the conduct of foreign affairs or defence matters
- is responsible for relations with foreign Parliaments
- is responsible for safety, and in this capacity, can call the police in the event of disturbance in the Duma

Speaking and voting rights, other functions:

- takes the floor in legislative debates
- takes part in voting
- proposes bills or amendments
- intervenes in the parliamentary oversight procedure
- ensures the constitutionality of laws

MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT

PARLIAMENTARY MANDATE

Nature of the mandate:

Start of the mandate:

Validation of mandates:

End of the mandate:

Can MPs resign ?

Yes

Can MPs lose their mandate ?

Yes

STATUS OF PARLIAMENT MEMBERS

Rank in hierarchy:

Indemnities, facilities and services:

Obligation to declare personal assets:

Parliamentary immunity - parliamentary non-accountability:

Parliamentary immunity - parliamentary inviolability:

EXERCISE OF THE MANDATE

Training:

Participation in the work of the Parliament:

Discipline:

Code (rules) of conduct:

Relations between MPs and pressure group:

Also available: Archive of past election results for this chamber