Federalism and Local Politics in Russia

Municipal elections 289proportionality. 16 However, the Draft Model Law was not published in timefor the 2004-5 round of municipal elections where a first past the post majoritarianelectoral system was by far the most common system employed. Amixed, majoritarian/PR system was adopted in only fifty council elections, inseven regions (Kransnoyarsk Krai, Volgograd, Nizhegorod, Tomsk, Tula,Sakhalin and Chita oblasts). 17 Only one municipality – the city of Volzhskii(Volgograd Region) – adopted a fully proportional party list system.The 2003 Law allows for the indirect election of deputies to the municipaldistricts. Thus, for example, in Stavropol' Krai the councils of municipaldistricts are made up of the ex-officio heads of the settlements situated withintheir jurisdiction, plus two deputies from each settlement council. 18 This,provision conflicts with Article 130 of the Russian Constitution which statesthat local self-government ‘shall be exercised by citizens through a referendum,election, or other forms of direct expression of the will of the people,through elected and other bodies of local self-government’. 19CandidatesOutside the capital cities of the regions competition for posts as deputies andexecutives was very low. Over the period March 2004–December 2005 a totalof 283,811 candidates competed for the 198,815 seats in local councils whichwas an average of just 1.42 candidates per seat. For the 13,655 posts ofheads of municipalities there were 37,715 candidates, an average of 2.76candidates. 20 As Lankina notes, ‘In many areas, particularly in the countryside,the locals’ lack of interest in voting or running for local positions hasbeen a great source of concern, even panic, for regional officials and electoralcommission members keen on demonstrating that the reform is goingsmoothly.’ 21In Tatarstan 80 per cent of all candidates ran unopposed, as was the casein many of the rural settlements in the Republic of Yakutiya, and the Ust'-Ordinskskii Buryatskii Autonomous Okrug. In Arkhangel'sk Oblast fivedays after the beginning of the election campaign there were still only 16candidates who had registered for the 202 posts of heads of local administrationsand just 481 candidates for the 1,861 local council seats: in Plesetskiiand Nyndomskii districts no candidates had come forward at all! It wouldappear that the heads of district administrations in the region were notenthusiastic about creating new representative bodies to challenge theirpowers. 22In Rostov Oblast 7,795 candidates put their names forward for 4,273council seats (1.8 candidates per seat), and 1,640 candidates competed forthe 408 posts of head of municipalities (4.0 per post) in the September 2005municipal elections. In the run-up to the campaign Rostov RegionalAssembly adopted legislation making it much easier for candidates to registerfor the elections. Thus, for example, in those districts where the populationnumbered less than 10,000, candidates were allowed to register without