Russian parliament approves political reform

The Federation Council, the upper chamber of the Russian Parliament, approved on Wednesday the new law on political parties proposed by President Dmitry Medvedev, Ekho Moskvy reports.

Some senators voted against the bill. Previously the bill was unanimously approved by the State Duma.

The new law makes it much easier to register a political party in Russia. Now 500 people can form a political party of their own, while according to the previous law the figure was 40 thousand.