Direct gubernatorial elections may start in 2012 – Naryshkin

Sergey Naryshkin, Chairman of the Russian Parliament, has commented on Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s proposal to bring back the process of direct elections of governors. The official believes that the law on direct gubernatorial elections may come into force in 2012, RIA Novosti reports.
Naryshkin became Speaker of Parliament on Wednesday. Before that, he was heading the Kremlin administration.
The official clarified that candidates for parliament in single-mandate districts will be introduced by parties. Thus, the parliament will be party-based, independent citizens willing to become MPs will need to undergo primaries in any party and then be proposed by the party.
Naryshkin noted that the president’s initiative to reform the political system is not a result of discontent of the opposition with the results of the parliamentary polls or the protests on Bolotnaya Square.