Russian State Duma to consider bill allowing regional heads to be elected for more than two consecutive terms

The Russian State Duma is set to consider a bill that would lift restrictions on the heads of regions being elected for more than two consecutive terms, reports RIA Novosti.

The draft law was submitted by lawmaker Pavel Krasheninnikov and senator Andrey Klishas on Monday, September 27, but it has yet to be published on the State Duma’s website.

If the bill is adopted, it will allow a number of powerful regional leaders to run for an additional term, including Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin and Moscow Regional Governor Andrey Vorobyov (whose terms in office expire in 2023), and Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov (whose term in office expires in 2025). 

Senator Klishas noted that the draft law also provides for “uniform” five-year terms in office for regional parliamentary deputies and the heads of regions. He also added that the document expands the grounds for early termination of authority due to loss of confidence in regional leaders.

In addition, the draft law proposes using the title “Head” (Glava) to refer to all regional leaders (as opposed to “governor” or “president,” as is the case in Tatarstan) and calling the region’s highest executive authority the “Government” (Pravitelstvo). 

In 2010, Russia adopted a law that prohibited calling regional leaders “presidents.” This initiative was put forward by Chechnya’s leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, who said, “in Russia, only one statesman has the right to be called the president.” Only the head of the Republic of Tatarstan retained the title of “president.”