The State Duma on Wednesday passed the law on direct elections for governors in its third and final reading.
It was passed by a 237-83 vote with no abstentions, RIA Novosti reports.The bill was introduced by President Dmitry Medvedev to the lower house of parliament on January 16th 2012 and is to be considered by the upper house, the Federation Council, on April 27.
Until now governors have been nominated by the president and confirmed by the regional legislature, in line with the amendments introduced during the second term of then-President Vladimir Putin.
The current bill was proposed by President Medvedev following massive demonstrations against vote fraud in the December 2011 parliamentary elections.
