Elections to municipal authorities. Municipal elections
Lecture 4: “Forms of local government”
4.3. Municipal elections
Municipal elections - these are elections held for the purpose of electing deputies, members of an elected body of local self-government, elected officials of local self-government on the basis of universal equal and direct suffrage by secret ballot.
Guarantees of the electoral rights of citizens during municipal elections, the procedure for calling, preparing, conducting, establishing the results and determining the results of municipal elections are established by the Federal Law “On the Basic Guarantees of Electoral Rights and the Right to Participate in Citizens’ Referendum” Russian Federation"and regional laws adopted in accordance with it.
Participation of a citizen of the Russian Federation in elections is free and voluntary. No one has the right to influence a citizen of the Russian Federation in order to force him to participate or not to participate in elections and referendums or to prevent his free expression of will.
Elections are organized and conducted by election commissions. Interference in the activities of commissions by legislative (representative) and executive bodies of state power, local government bodies, organizations, officials, and other citizens is not permitted.
A citizen of the Russian Federation who has reached the age of 18 has the right to vote (the so-called active suffrage), and upon reaching the age established by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, federal laws, constitutions (charters), laws of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, to be elected to bodies state authorities and local governments (so-called passive suffrage). A citizen of the Russian Federation who reaches the age of 18 on voting day has the right to participate in other electoral actions provided for by law and carried out by legal methods, and other actions related to the preparation and conduct of a referendum.
According to Art. 32 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, citizens declared incompetent by a court, as well as those held in prison by a court verdict, do not have the right to be elected.
A citizen of the Russian Federation has the right to vote and be elected regardless of gender, race, nationality, language, origin, property and official status, place of residence, attitude to religion, beliefs, membership in public associations, as well as other circumstances.
A citizen whose place of residence is located within the electoral district has active voting rights. The stay of a citizen of the Russian Federation outside his place of residence during elections in the district in which his place of residence is located cannot serve as a basis for depriving him of the right to participate in elections to local government bodies.
Restrictions on passive voting rights associated with the location of the place of residence of a citizen of the Russian Federation in a certain territory of the Russian Federation, including requirements for the duration and period of residence of a citizen of the Russian Federation in this territory, are established only by the Constitution of the Russian Federation.
The charter of a municipal formation may establish additional conditions implementation by a citizen of the Russian Federation of passive suffrage, which does not allow the same person to hold the position of head of a municipality for more than a specified number of consecutive terms.
If there is a court decision that has entered into force regarding a citizen of the Russian Federation depriving him of the right to hold state and (or) municipal positions for a certain period, this citizen cannot be registered as a candidate if voting in elections to state authorities, local government bodies will take place before the expiration of the specified period.
The Constitution (charter) or the law of a subject of the Russian Federation may establish additional conditions for the exercise by a citizen of the Russian Federation of passive voting rights related to the citizen reaching a certain age. The established minimum age of a candidate cannot exceed 21 years on the day of voting in local government elections. Setting a maximum age for a candidate is not permitted.
Based international treaties of the Russian Federation and in the manner established by law, foreign citizens permanently residing on the territory of a municipal entity have the right to elect and be elected to local government bodies, to participate in other electoral actions in these elections on the same conditions as citizens of the Russian Federation.
Citizens of the Russian Federation participate in municipal elections on an equal basis. If, during elections to a representative body of local self-government, electoral districts with different numbers of mandates are formed, each voter has an equal number of votes.
Elections of local government bodies and deputies are mandatory, periodic and held within the time limits established by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, federal laws, constitutions (charters), laws of constituent entities of the Russian Federation, charters of municipalities.
According to Art. 23 of the Federal Law “On general principles organizations of local self-government in the Russian Federation" municipal elections are called by the representative body of the municipal formation within the time limits provided for by the charter of the municipal formation. In cases established by federal law, municipal elections are called by the relevant election commission of the municipality or by the court.
The law of a constituent entity of the Russian Federation establishes the types of electoral systems that can be used during municipal elections and the procedure for their application. In accordance with the types of electoral systems established by the law of the constituent entity of the Russian Federation, the charter of the municipal formation determines that electoral system, which is used during municipal elections in a given municipality. The law of a constituent entity of the Russian Federation may determine the conditions for the application of types of electoral systems in municipalities, depending on the number of voters in the municipality, the type of municipality and other circumstances. The electoral system in the Federal Law “On the General Principles of the Organization of Local Self-Government in the Russian Federation” refers to the conditions for recognizing a candidate, candidates as elected, lists of candidates as admitted to the distribution of deputy mandates, as well as the procedure for distributing deputy mandates between lists of candidates and within lists of candidates.
When conducting municipal elections, a majoritarian electoral system, a proportional electoral system, as well as an electoral system that combines the first two (mixed) are used.
Majoritarian electoral system is an electoral system based on the principle of a majority vote. A majority vote can be absolute when half of the total number of voters is exceeded; relative, when the number of votes received by one candidate exceeds the number of votes cast for other candidates separately; qualified when the candidate who receives a qualified majority of votes that exceeds the absolute majority is considered elected. The majoritarian electoral system was the first to be used in elections to representative institutions. The majoritarian electoral system is the simplest in determining the voting results. One of the main disadvantages of the majoritarian electoral system is that it does not take into account the votes of voters who, for one reason or another, find themselves in the minority according to the voting results.
Proportional electoral system is an electoral system according to which mandates in an elected body are distributed in proportion to the number of votes received by a party or list of candidates throughout the country or in one of several multi-member electoral districts. The proportional electoral system is currently more common in the world than the majoritarian electoral system. The use of a proportional electoral system allows us to solve the main drawback of the majoritarian electoral system and take into account during elections the votes of voters who, for one reason or another, were in the minority according to the voting results in a particular electoral district. Parties that do not receive a majority of votes in such electoral districts, but receive the required number of votes in other electoral districts, receive representation in the elected body. The first representative body of a municipal formation in the Russian Federation, fully formed according to the proportional system, was elected in the city of Volzhsky, Volgograd region.
Currently, state policy comes down to the maximum exclusion of all public associations, except political parties, from participation in elections. The very concept of “electoral association” comes down to a political party that, in accordance with federal law, has the right to participate in elections, as well as to a regional branch or other structural unit of a political party that, in accordance with federal law, has the right to participate in elections at the appropriate level. The only “electoral outlet” for other public associations is municipal elections. When holding elections to local self-government bodies, the electoral association is also another public association, the charter of which provides for participation in elections and which was created in the form public organization or a social movement and registered in accordance with the law at a level corresponding to the level of elections, or more high level. In this case, the specified public association or amendments and additions made to its charter, providing for participation in elections, must be registered no later than one year before voting day, and in the case of calling elections to a local government body in connection with the early termination of its powers - not later than six months before voting day. The specified deadlines do not apply to other changes and additions made to the charter of the public association.
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In September, elections of municipal deputies will be held in all Moscow districts. The composition of representative bodies of local self-government for the next five years will be determined by voting results. The local budget, the development of the area, the improvement of streets and courtyards, as well as major repairs will depend on the elected members of the city councils of deputies.
The Village has compiled instructions on how to register as a candidate and vote in the election.
Who can be elected
Adult Russians who do not have citizenship of another country, as well as a residence permit or visa allowing permanent stay in another state, can run for municipal elections. At the same time, it is not at all necessary to have Moscow registration. A candidate can be registered in any region of Russia, but this will be indicated on the ballot. In turn, if you have registration in Moscow, you can be elected in any convenient district without any problems, since the district of registration is not marked on the ballot.
You can go to the polls with minimal resources, but running a high-quality campaign, according to the educational portal of Dmitry Gudkov and Maxim Katz, will cost about 80 thousand rubles. In addition, you will have to spend two to three weeks going door-to-door and communicating with voters in the district or hiring campaigners, which will increase the cost of the campaign.
Preparation period
Then you need to decide on the district. To do this, you can go to the Territorial Election Commission and ask for a breakdown of districts - the distribution of houses by district. The addresses and coordinates of TECs can be found on the website of the Moscow City Election Commission.
In addition, you need to choose between being nominated by a party or participating in elections as a self-nominated candidate. Nomination from a party that has its own deputy in the current convocation will make it possible not to collect voter signatures, which will simplify registration.
You should also prepare an initial package of documents:
A statement of consent to run for office, in which you can, among other things, indicate your affiliation with a political party;
Passport and (if available) certificate of change of full name;
Diploma of education;
Information about the main place of work or service, and, if available, a certificate stating that the candidate is a deputy;
Information about the amount and sources of income, as well as about the property owned by the candidate.
Registration and collection of signatures
Elections of municipal deputies are called by district municipal assemblies. Once nominated, potential candidates have 30 days to nominate and register (including collecting signatures). It is worth submitting documents as early as possible so that there is time to eliminate any shortcomings if any are discovered.
Those running as self-nominated candidates will have to collect signatures from 0.5% of the number of voters divided by the number of mandates. So, in a district with 30 thousand voters and five mandates, 30 signatures will have to be collected.
After submitting the documents, the candidate is given a direction to open an election account, through which money is spent to pay for campaign materials and events, as well as signature sheets. The agreement with the bank and account details must be provided to the TEC.
When collecting signatures, it is very important to follow the rules for drawing up the signature sheet: every formal error - incorrect abbreviation or signature going beyond the field - will be grounds for removing the signature.
Election campaign
After registration, the candidate remains to conduct a campaign. The main ways to find supporters are door-to-door visits, printed materials, online campaigning and organizing meetings with residents. In addition, you can organize special events, such as pickets. At the same time, all election campaigning must be paid for from the candidate’s election account, and printing of campaign materials is possible only in accredited printing houses.
After the elections
If you win, congratulations. Now the time has come to act for the benefit of the area, defending the interests of citizens. Although this is not necessary. Municipal deputyry is more like a volunteer activity than a job. The only duty of a deputy is to receive residents and go to meetings once a month. At the same time, deputies do not receive a salary, except for compensation for transferred powers from the mayor’s office in the amount of about 15 thousand rubles per month. However, deputies can use free public transport.
Municipal elections are elections held for the purpose of electing deputies, members of an elected body of local self-government, elected officials of local self-government on the basis of universal, equal and direct suffrage by secret ballot.
Guarantees of the electoral rights of citizens during municipal elections, the procedure for calling, preparing, conducting, establishing the results and determining the results of municipal elections are established by Federal Law No. 67-FZ of June 12, 2002 “On the basic guarantees of electoral rights and the right to participate in a referendum of citizens of the Russian Federation” and regional laws adopted in accordance with it.
According to the law: “Citizens of the Russian Federation are entitled to participate in elections on the basis of universal, equal and direct suffrage by secret ballot. Citizen participation in voting is purely voluntary, that is, neither the employer nor the administration educational organization, neither government agencies nor public associations or individual citizens cannot force people to come or not come to the polls.”
On the basis of international treaties of the Russian Federation and in the manner established by law, foreign citizens permanently residing on the territory of the relevant municipality have the right to elect and be elected to local government bodies, to participate in other electoral actions at these elections, as well as to participate in a local referendum on the same conditions as citizens of the Russian Federation.
The laws of the constituent entity of the Russian Federation (often these laws are called election codes) establish the types of electoral systems that can be used during municipal elections and the procedure for their application. In accordance with the types of electoral systems established by the laws of the constituent entity of the Russian Federation, the charter of a municipal entity determines the electoral system that is used during municipal elections in a given municipal entity and establishes elective positions and bodies. The procedure for counting votes and determining the outcome of elections and the distribution of deputy mandates is established by regional legislation.
It should be noted that since the electoral legislation of a subject should not completely copy the provisions existing in federal legislation, some exceptions are possible. So, on July 10, 2013, deputies of the Moscow City Duma approved amendments to the capital’s electoral code that abolished absentee ballots.
The term of office of municipal authorities is determined by the charter of the municipality and usually does not exceed 5 years. Elections to local government bodies of a newly formed municipal entity must be held no later than six months from the date of its creation. Deputies of municipal representative bodies can be elected in a single electoral district (from 25% total number) and in single-member and even multi-member constituencies. Moscow is setting a trend towards a transition to an exclusively single-member system - this allows for a closer connection between voters and the municipal deputy. The number of deputies depends on the size of the municipality. The procedure for distributing deputy mandates is varied and may differ even in neighboring municipalities.
City mayors are elected using a majority system of simple or qualified majority. On ballots at the local level, the “Against all” column may be retained.
The preparation and conduct of municipal elections is carried out by: the election commission of the municipality; district election commissions; precinct election commissions. Elections are called by the representative body of the municipality.
Local referendum is a vote of citizens living in the territory of the relevant municipality who have the right to vote on the most important issues of local importance: from the adoption of the charter of the municipality and changes in the boundaries of the municipality to the removal of the head of the municipality from office. The initiative to hold a referendum belongs to both the residents of the municipality and the head of the municipality or representative body. The general procedure for initiating a referendum and holding it will coincide with the all-Russian one, with a discount on the number of the initiative group and the number of signatures to support the initiative. A referendum is usually considered valid if more than half of the eligible voters have voted. The decision is made by a simple majority of votes. Local referendums can be either imperative (i.e., their decision is binding) or advisory (to identify the opinion of residents on the issue submitted to the referendum).
Regulatory legal acts regulating electoral legal relations:
1. Constitution of the Russian Federation (adopted by popular vote on December 12, 1993);
2. Federal Law of June 12, 2002 No. 67-FZ “On the basic guarantees of electoral rights and the right to participate in a referendum of citizens of the Russian Federation”;
What you need to know about municipal elections?
The Council of Deputies of Municipal Entities is a representative body of local self-government. Its members are elected by popular vote in single-mandate and/or multi-member constituencies for a term of five years. Any citizen of Russia who has reached the age of 18 can run for office. It is not at all necessary to have a residence permit in Moscow.
But we must understand that municipal parliament is rather social work than the real one. No salary is paid for it; They pay compensation once a quarter for transferred powers from the mayor's office in the amount of about 15,000 rubles per month. Also, municipal deputies, in addition to the crust, are provided with free travel on public transport.
Elections of municipal deputies are called by district municipal assemblies. In total there are 124 districts in Moscow plus New Moscow. Since federal law requires elections to take place on the same day, they will all be scheduled for September 10th. This will be officially announced during the week of June 12-18. Potential candidates will then have 30 days to nominate and register.
Since 2012, when municipal elections were last held, the size of electoral districts has been significantly increased. This, as well as the guaranteed low turnout- elections coincide with the holiday period, which complicates the conduct of election campaigns. But it is possible to win elections. To do this, you need to develop a certain strategy and tactics, as well as understand the structure of the electoral process.
Why become a municipal deputy?
Alexander Soloviev
Chairman of the Open Russia movement
“The main privilege of municipal deputies is legitimacy. They are the only public figures in the area who were voted for in the elections. While the prefect, the head of the council and officials of city departments are brought down from above.
According to the law, a deputy alone can only reject a decision to carry out major repairs. Other decisions require a majority of the Council. Nevertheless, over the past few years, deputies have succeeded in a lot - they stopped infill developments, thwarted the conclusion of corrupt contracts, changed plans for the improvement of areas, saved parks from cutting down, fought against landfills and influenced changes in the work system public transport. It turns out that the municipal deputy is such a local superman.
The most important thing in the story of municipal elections is that in any case you are better than those who vote at the direction of the government and try to escape from the meeting as quickly as possible. Therefore, we teach caring people how to become those who will truly defend the interests of Muscovites.”
How to become a candidate?
Get acquainted with members of the Territorial Election Commission (TEC) or deputies of the municipal assembly. Their addresses and coordinates can be viewed. It is necessary to maintain relations with them in order to monitor what is happening in the commission and promptly receive information.
Find voters registered in the district who are willing to sign for you. To do this, you can make a list of all your friends living in the area and go around your own and neighboring houses.
Prepare the first package of documents. This:
Passport. If available, then a certificate of marriage or divorce, a certificate of change of full name, as well as a diploma of higher education.
Certificate from the main place of work. If available, a certificate confirming the duties of a deputy and a certificate confirming affiliation with a political party or political association.
You need to fill out an application about your consent to run, which can be obtained from the local TEC, and about your income and property. You need to be especially careful with the latter: if you make a mistake, they will most likely write nasty things about you at the election stand.
Municipal assemblies must call elections by June 21. As soon as they are appointed in your area, take certified copies of documents to the local TEC (addresses are again at). A copy of the passport is certified by the election commission, the remaining documents are certified by the candidate himself.
Important! Be sure to receive written confirmation that your documents have been accepted. From this moment on, you are considered a candidate, although not registered.
After the publication of the decision to set the election day, candidates are given 30 days to nominate and collect signatures. In case of refusal, during this time you can have time to nominate and collect signatures at least twice.
They can refuse if the candidate has submitted an incomplete set of documents or the signatures for him were incorrectly completed or experts from the Federal Migration Service and the Ministry of Internal Affairs recognized them as fake. And also in case of incorrect registration of the subscription sheet.
Until the beginning of September
Find like-minded people and create an election coalition.
Conduct a propaganda campaign.
How to fill out an application for consent to run for office?
The application must indicate passport details, place of residence, TIN (it can be viewed on the tax website), citizenship, information about vocational education, main place of work and position or occupation. It should also be noted in the application that if elected, you will stop engaging in activities that are incompatible with being a deputy (for example, civil service).
What restrictions apply to candidates?
There are many restrictions. But the main thing is that all operations must be carried out through an election account. Print campaign materials only upon prepayment from this account and exclusively in printing houses accredited for the elections. At the same time, you can only deposit 40 thousand rubles into the account from own money and two thousand each from individuals - voters who support you.
How to collect signatures and how many?
After submitting the first package of documents to the TEC, the candidate is given a referral to a Sberbank branch to open an electoral account. You need to transfer money through the account to pay for signature sheets - the candidate prints them himself. The agreement with the bank and account details are provided to the TIC.
To calculate the required number of signatures, you can use the formula “half a percent of voters per mandate.” That is, if there are five mandates in the district and 20 thousand voters, the candidate will only need to collect 20 signatures. To do this, you need to convince the voter to sign and provide his passport information. All data is recorded on the subscription sheet. If a voter's signature extends beyond the boundaries of a cell, it, and at the same time the neighboring one, may be considered invalid.
Is it possible not to collect signatures?
Yes. In the case of nomination from one of the four parliamentary parties or in the case of nomination from Yabloko in one of the 18 districts of Moscow, where there are deputies from this party in the current convocation.
What challenges do candidates face?
Konstantin Jankauskas
30 years old, deputy of the first convocation of the Zyuzino district
“I was born and live in the Zyuzino region. In 2012, I was elected here as a municipal deputy and this year I am also going to the polls. There are several reasons. First of all, I care about what happens in my area. Secondly, I don’t want Zyuzino to be represented only by deputies from “ United Russia"is a party of officials, bosses and corrupt officials. When making decisions, they are guided by the interests of only these social groups. I would like the Council of Deputies to have at least one independent person representing the interests of the residents of the district.
What happened in the elections five years ago and what will happen now are completely different stories. In 2012, municipal elections, firstly, coincided with the presidential elections. That is, the turnout was greater, and the election campaign itself was easier to conduct. The second point is the “For Fair Elections” rallies, which frightened the authorities and forced them to allow a significant number of independent candidates to participate in the elections. I think this time there will be more administrative opposition to candidates. Five years ago, I did not have any difficulties registering my candidacy, although I know that in other districts candidates were removed based on signatures. That is, they declared the signatures for them invalid and on this basis refused to register.
During campaigning, candidates face a standard set of problems. For example, street cleaners instantly tear down all the leaflets and posters. And this year, special people appeared who take out campaign newspapers from mailboxes. By law, district and district newspapers must provide equal conditions for campaigning to all candidates. But in reality, only nominees from United Russia have such an opportunity.
But I never had any difficulties with local residents. I went door to door, handed out leaflets, made introductions. Everything was very positive. In general, I like social work. People also react with interest to the opportunity to communicate with the candidate.”
Lena Vereshchagina
23 years old, journalist, candidate for municipal deputies of Troitsk
“I live in Troitsk, which five years ago became part of New Moscow. I’ve been thinking about participating in elections to the Council of Deputies for the last four years, but I only recently started taking action. I registered for the project of Dmitry Gudkov and Maxim Katz, which provides basic support to independent candidates. I have already completed training on collecting signatures from election lawyer Sasha Grezev. Although I only need to collect ten signatures, without a thorough knowledge of the process of filling out forms and other bureaucratic squiggles, this will not be easy.
I have already made my first leaflet, with which I now go from house to house and communicate with residents. I just wrote about myself and why I am running for municipal deputies. It took about eight thousand rubles to design and print a thousand copies. If a candidate wants to win, and not just hype on social networks, he will have to invest in the campaign. I'm thinking of using own funds or try fundraising. According to my calculations, a simple but confident municipal campaign will cost about 100,000 rubles.
The most difficult thing is to find not money, but time. The competitors have all the power of the administrative resource on their side, so independent candidates, in order to be known in the area, need to get to know the residents. Political strategists call this “Door to Door”. Although election day has not yet been announced, I have already started going door to door and talking about myself. There are a total of 4,600 apartments in my area, and I want to see them all. I will walk around the entrances every day for two to three hours, seven days a week. It's hard: you never know what's waiting for you behind the door. For example, yesterday I came to a woman who had a huge fat pigeon sitting in the middle of her room. But that's nothing. It happens that people just throw out all the negativity at you - it’s good that it’s not green stuff. This is probably the most difficult part of the campaign.
I really miss constant legal support. Of course, I can look up some things in the electoral legislation myself, and check some things with my colleagues from Gudkov’s headquarters. But it’s better when there is always a person in touch, ready to answer the strangest questions, like: “Can I be arrested for walking around apartments and getting to know the residents of the area?” I hope that closer to the elections I will find such a lawyer.”
Afisha Daily thanks the Open Elections educational center for its assistance in preparing the material.
The main difference between the current municipal elections and the elections of 2008 and 2012 is that most of the current young candidates are active oppositionists, says Maxim Kats, chief of staff of opposition politician Dmitry Gudkov. “Last time, 5 thousand candidates ran, this time - 7 thousand, and almost the entire difference - 1100-1200 candidates - are new active Muscovites,” he told RBC. RBC and candidate for local deputies of the Krasnoselsky district Ilya Yashin spoke about the increase in the activity of the opposition.
The increase in the number of young people among candidates is a logical consequence of recent protests by opposition leader Alexei Navalny and rallies against renovation, activist Yulia Galyamina noted in a conversation with RBC. Co-chairman of the “Voice” movement Grigory Melkonyants believes that the increase in the number of young people among candidates is a natural and correct process. “They are tired of not being taken into account. Each of them, most likely, wants to receive status to solve the problems that bother him,” he told RBC. However, Galyamina fears that young activists may quickly lose interest in the municipal agenda and stop attending council meetings. As an example, she cited activist Vera Kichanova, who became a municipal deputy at the age of 18, and two years later stopped participating in the work of the deputy council.
Business elections
The most numerous professional group of those running for elections in 2017, as RBC found out, are company managers (manager, deputy manager or head of a branch). There are 16.87% of registered participants. It is noteworthy that in 2008 and 2012 the leaders were public sector employees (people working at different levels in the fields of science, education, and medicine) - then their share was 26.8 and 21.9%, respectively. Now in second place are the unemployed (11.63%), in third are officials (10.55%), and public sector employees make up only 9.67% of the number of candidates.
What can municipal deputies do?
In November 2002, the law “On the organization of local self-government in the city of Moscow” was adopted. Moscow was divided into municipalities, within the boundaries of which local self-government was exercised. District deputies became representatives of local government bodies.
The list of powers of Moscow municipal deputies has changed several times since that time. In general, now they have few opportunities, Dmitry Martynenko, deputy of the Shchukino district council, noted in a comment to RBC.
Deputies have the right to receive citizens on their duty days and send parliamentary requests. Members of district councils deal with issues of guardianship and guardianship, as well as organizing sports and leisure activities with residents of the district. Deputies are also given the right to dispose of municipal property and adopt the municipal budget. Members of the councils hear reports from the head of the district government and can express no confidence in him; they annually determine the list of courtyard areas for improvement work, the list of houses for major repairs, and also monitor the progress of this work. In addition, municipal deputies have the right to approve a draft urban development plan for a land plot for capital construction projects with an area of up to 1.5 thousand square meters. m, select a site for the construction of garages and religious facilities and approve the layout of non-stationary retail facilities and seasonal cafes.
Many managers have registered for municipal elections in the areas where their businesses are located. For example, the head of the owning land plots of the Khimki-Molzhaninovo company, Vadim Krasyuk, moved to the Molzhaninovsky district, and the general director of the Severyanin company, Andrey Baturin, to the Yaroslavl district, where the company leases the business center of the same name. In the Tverskoy district, among the candidates is the deputy director of the Hermitage garden, Irina Simonova.
Owners and managers of companies are running for municipal deputies to support their business, political strategist Vyacheslav Smirnov explained to RBC. This is especially true for the construction sector, he believes. “I know stories when companies applying for participation in the renovation program try to appoint candidates to district councils who will vote for resettlement and construction in areas where they have already built houses, and, on the contrary, where large owners do not profitable,” he emphasized. Most company leaders are nominated by United Russia or are self-nominated.
Representatives of not only medium-sized but also small businesses are interested in obtaining mandates, added political scientist Nikolai Mironov: many issues related to small businesses are resolved at the level of administrations, which widely interact with councils of deputies. “And besides, being a municipal deputy is still an opportunity to write deputy requests,” the expert explained. As RBC calculations show, the share of individual entrepreneurs among the candidates has doubled compared to the 2012 elections (3.28% now versus 1.63% five years ago).
The businessmen themselves connect their promotion with entrepreneurial activity deny. Thus, a participant in the elections in the Airport district, Pavel Yarilin, who runs the Simple Technologies company, told RBC that he was motivated to nominate himself by the “devastation” in his district and the opportunity to vote for alternative candidates in the upcoming elections for the mayor of Moscow. Yarilin is not going to help his business if he wins. “Theoretically, I could go to the head of the council and agree on something. But as soon as at least one contract for the maintenance of information systems is concluded with the authorities, the authorities will have a reason to contact me with any request,” the RBC interlocutor explained and added, that he doesn’t want to be “vulnerable” to local authorities.
The head of the Kvizdom company, Ilya Ber, who ran for elections in the Preobrazhensky district, also does not connect his nomination with business. He told RBC that as a deputy he would like to take part in the discussion of improvement projects and have access to documents on these projects. “Nomination for municipal deputies has nothing to do with it [business]. These are the basics: a conflict of interest that should not exist,” he explained.
Party of Officials and State Employees
Another news from the 2017 Moscow municipal elections: United Russia traditionally nominated the largest group of candidates (1,477 people - 105 more than in 2008), but the share of candidates of the party in power from the total number of registered candidates in 2017 (19%) has undergone a dramatic decline compared to 2008 (42%). It is impossible to compare the current positions with 2012, since last time party members went to the polls as self-nominated candidates.
Otherwise, United Russia did not present any surprises. In these elections, the party in power relied on civil servants and public sector workers. Officials, employees of medical institutions and schools make up more than 50% of United Russia nominees, according to RBC calculations. Among United Russia members there are also many executives (16%) and managers (8%) of various companies.
United Russia did not refuse to nominate well-known representatives of creative professions in certain regions. Thus, in the Gagarinsky district, the actor Armen Dzhigarkhanyan (his theater is located in this area) and the deputy director of the circus on Vernadsky Avenue, Tatyana Zapashnaya, were nominated by United Russia. In the neighboring Academichesky district, actress Olga Kabo and director of the Darwin Museum Anna Klyukina will run.
Well-known candidates have different motivations for participating in elections: for example, Klyukina, in a conversation with RBC, noted that her decision to run was driven by a desire to improve the environmental situation in her area. “Everything is very simple for me - I am an honorary resident of the Academichesky district, its fate is not indifferent to me. According to my concept, a new park is now being opened. My motivation is completely normal,” she explained.
Zapashnaya told RBC that the decision to run for municipal deputies was driven by the desire “to change something in this life while I still have the strength, desire and health.” “I am a very active woman. I want to try myself in this field. “Basically, I have been involved in social work all my life,” Zapashnaya explained. According to her, first of all it is necessary to make sure that the circus can be visited by disabled people. “So that we can invite them [disabled people] for free. They still can’t get to us because we have neither elevators nor ramps in the circus. This will be one of the important areas,” she noted.
Dzhigarkhanyan told RBC that he went to the polls, in particular, because of the “good company” of other candidates for district deputies. At the same time, he noted that he never aspired to politics. "I'm doing educational work. In our turbulent, complex, hectic times, people lose the line between good and evil. This line must be shown, for example, through the church and the theater. Of course, I was Vladimir Putin’s confidant, but not for the sake of political struggle, but for the sake of preserving opportunities for development,” the actor added.
Who was convicted
Of the 7,665 registered candidates, 51 people have a criminal record, including expunged and expunged ones. By law, having a criminal record does not prevent you from running for office, unless the candidate is convicted of serious or especially serious crimes. 17 candidates with a criminal record registered as self-nominated candidates. “A Just Russia” has the most previously convicted people—nine candidates. United Russia has one, he was convicted of drunk driving causing grievous bodily harm. The most common offenses among candidates with a criminal record are fraud (six people) and theft (six people). Four were tried for hooliganism, three for robbery, three for violating the Rules traffic, three - for extortion, three more - for participation in drug trafficking.
Nominating famous people for elections is a typical move for United Russia. " Famous people they are needed as candidates not only for victory, but also as an information source, for the sake of image and popularity,” political scientist Konstantin Kalachev explained to RBC.
In general, the emphasis on officials and public sector employees in municipal elections is traditional for the party in power, Kalachev noted. United Russia members nominate doctors and teachers because these people are “known and respected” in the regions, and officials are “an ideal option from the point of view of controllability, since there is no danger that they will go over to the opposition after the elections,” he said in a comment to RBC. According to the expert, the presence of top managers and business people is explained by the fact that municipal deputies do not receive salaries for their work.
United Russia still counts on mobilizing administrative resources, and their main strategy in this campaign is to reduce turnout - this is evidenced, for example, by the almost complete absence of bright campaigning, co-chairman of the Solidarity movement Ilya Yashin, who is running in the Krasnoselsky district of Moscow, told RBC. First Deputy Secretary of the capital branch of United Russia Andrei Smolkin objects to Yashin: the party’s strategy “is to win.” He confirmed to RBC that among the party candidates there are many people from socially oriented professions, but this, in his opinion, is “quite normal.” “We choose the most earthly level, and the people who work on the ground - teachers, doctors, representatives of NGOs - know their territory best and will be useful as deputies,” Smolkin noted.
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