The Russian Central Electoral Commission said today that the decision of the Dagestani parliament to reject direct elections for governor did not come as a surprise. "We expected this decision in Dagestan," the commission's secretary Nikolai Konkin said.
According to RIA Novosti, Konkin said that Dagestan had become the first region in Russia to reject direct elections for governor.
A law adopted in early April allows lawmakers to abolish direct regional elections of governors. It is assumed that this right will primarily be used in the North Caucasus. As previously reported, today the Dagestani People's Assembly decided not to hold direct elections for the head of the republic.
On April 24th a similar question will be considered by the parliament in Ingushetia.
