53 members of the North Ossetian parliament have voted for the bill against a nationwide vote for republican leader in the first reading, 6 voted against and 8 abstained, ITAR-TASS reports.
The law on direct elections of regional leaders has been in force since July 1, 2012. Dagestan and Ingushetia have no nationwide votes for their leaders. Zelim Vatayev, a member of the United Russia Party and the initiator of the bill, says that if people choose the parliament, the parliament may choose the regional leader.
Nationwide elections will be replaced with votes by the parliament to choose candidates among those proposed by the president. Only political forces present in the Russian or regional parliament are allowed to field such candidates.
