The regions are to decide what way to choose, reads the portal of the President.
In no-election case, each political party of the regional and the federal Duma can introduce three candidates for governors. The President is to choose any three from the short list for consideration in the regional government.
Russia is a multinational country with many national Republics, whose representatives don’t believe their candidates can have any chance in case of direct elections.
The initiators of the law are afraid that direct elections can make the social situation red-hot, decline the social and economic situation, and lead to security threat, incitement of regional hatred.
The official reason to cancel the direct elections in 2004 was the national safety, and anti-terrorism threat. The last direct elections were held in the Nenets Autonomous District in January 2005. Since that time the regional Governors were appointed from Moscow.
The direct elections returned in June 2012, initiated by Dmitry Medvedev. Twenty-three governors, including Governors of Barents Russia were appointed to the regions while the law project had been considered by the Russian Duma, and was signed by the President.
Five appointed Russian Governors have been re-elected since the law came in power.
