Russian MPs vote for new electoral system

Members of the State Duma voted on Wednesday in favour of the bill on the return to a mixed electoral system, the Russia Today TV channel reports.

The bill was prepared jointly by all four parliamentary caucuses. Once it is signed into law, candidates at parliamentary elections would have to back their applications with at least 200,000 supporters' signatures (with not more than 7000 signatures collected in each of Russia’s 95 federal regions). Parties that have already participated in parliamentary polls and received support from at least 3 percent of voters are exempt from this rule, and so are parties represented in at least one regional legislative assembly.

Independent candidates would have to present signatures of supporters numbering at least 3 percent of the number of voters in the constituency (at least 3000 signatures if the total number of voters is under 100,000), Russia Today informs.