Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has introduced a bill on amendments to the formation of the lower chamber of parliament, RIA Novosti reports.
It will be formed via 225 territorial electoral districts. Members will be elected for over one cycle.
Medvedev met leaders of political parties and said that the bill was planned for Wednesday. He reminded them about the introduction of bills simplifying registration of political parties and adopting a system of direct gubernatorial elections.
The president admitted that Russian democracy was still developing. He added that he spent 4 years developing the political system. Medvedev read out ideas on reforming the electoral system in his message to the Federal Assembly in late December.
Boris Gryzlov, Chairman of the High Council of United Russia, Sergey Neverov, Secretary of the Presidium of the General Council of United Russia and Vice-Speaker of Parliament, Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov, Ivan Melnikov, Deputy Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Russia and Vice-Speaker of Parliament, Sergey Mironov, head of Fair Russia, Nikolai Levichev, Chairman of Fair Russia, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, head of the LDPR, Igor Lebedev, head of the High Council of the LDPR and Vice-Speaker of Parliament, Sergey Mitrokhin, Chairman of the Yabloko Party, Sergey Ivanenko, a member of the political committee of Yabloko, Gennady Semigin, Chairman of the Patriots of Russia Party, Nadezhda Korneyeva, Deputy Chairwoman of the party, Andrey Dunayev, Acting Chairman of Right Cause, and Vyacheslav Maratkanov, a member of the federal political council of the party were at the meeting.
Vyacheslav Volodin, deputy head of the Presidential Administration, attended the talks.
Dmitry Medvedev plans to meet officials of unregistered parties. Medvedev planned to meet leaders of registered parties that have not entered the parliament.
The Vedomosti paper said on February 8 that Medvedev met participants of opposition protests “For Fair Elections” on February 8. Leaders of 5-7 unregistered parties will be invited. Opposition members Boris Nemtsov, Sergey Udaltsov, Mikhail Kasyanov and Eduard Limonov are unlikely to be invited.
