Federal district presidential envoys shall choose prospective candidates and submit them to the presidential chief of staff. The latter shall submit at least two candidates to the president for consideration after holding the required consultations. The exact number of candidates still remains unclear. However, the procedure will be repeated if the president disapproves of the candidates.
For his own part, Vladimir Putin shall suggest only one candidacy to regional lawmakers and shall have the right to dissolve a legislature that rejects it.
Alexei Makarkin, an expert with the Center of Political Technologies, believes that deputy presidential chief of staff Vladislav Surkov, his internal policy department and presidential aide for personnel issues Viktor Ivanov will help coordinate candidate lists under the consultation clause, Vedomosti notes.
Mercator group president Dmitry Oreshkin predicts that Kremlin officials or businessmen will force candidacies upon a weak presidential envoy. An influential presidential envoy candidate will vie with Kremlin administration and corporate nominees, the expert believes.
Vladimir Putin signed a law on the new procedure for gubernatorial elections on December 12. According to the document, the candidacy of a regional administrator shall be endorsed by a territorial legislature in line with the president's recommendations. Should the regional parliament reject a candidacy on three occasions, the president shall appoint an acting governor for up to six months. He shall also have the right to dissolve the legislature.
