Russian State Duma to consider bill on direct elections of mayors

The Russian government has submitted a bill to the State Duma that provides for direct elections of mayors as part of a political reform, the press service of the faction "United Russia" reported on Friday.

"The bill introduces mandatory direct elections of mayors by the population that surely meets the challenges of the day. Indeed, today we are talking about a comprehensive political reform, which cannot but touch upon the principles of formation and activities of the local self-government" – Interfax quotes the words of the first Deputy Head of the faction "United Russia" in the State Duma, Chairman of the All-Russian Council of local Government, Vyacheslav Timchenko.