Medvedev brings in bill on parties and simplification of candidate introduction

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has brought in bills on simplification of party registration in 2013 and reduction of the signatures needed to propose a candidate for president, the Kremlin reports on Friday.

A party should have at least 500 members (50,000 at present). Its members are to represent at least 50% of regions, or at least two delegates from each regional office (3 at present). Information on authorized structures is to be updated once every three years (annually at present). Party inspections will be held once every 3 years (once a year at present).

A candidate for president needs at least 100,000 signatures (2 million at present). The number of signatures was reduced from 2 million to 300,000 for independent candidates.

A party needs no more than 2,500 signatures per region, an independent candidate needs no more than 7,500 (50,000 in both cases at present). Parties also need no more than 2,500 signatures from citizens living abroad and independent candidates need 7,500 (50,000 at present).

Other elections do not require signature collection. Signatures will only be collected by public unities.

The benchmark of signatures to register a candidate for regional or local elections will be reduced from 2% to 0.5% of all voters in a district. The regional law will set the necessary number of signatures.

The new bill will not concern presidential polls on March 4, 2012. Registration of independent candidates ended on December 15, party members – on December 20.

The parliament of the sixth calling elected on December 4 plans to conclude formation of committees and start work in January.

The president announced reforms to the Russian political system in his annual message to the Federal Assembly.