In Russia’s Far East, Yakutsk lawmakers vote to eliminate direct mayoral elections as governor cites ‘war with West’

Lawmakers in Yakutsk, a city in Russia’s Far East, have voted to abolish direct mayoral elections, the news outlet 14.ru reported.

Of the 29 members of the Yakutsk City Duma, 25 attended the session. Twenty voted in favor of the measure, three opposed it, and two abstained.

The City Duma first approved the proposal in November 2024 and sent it to the regional parliament for review, but lawmakers returned it for revisions. The latest vote was on an amended version of the bill.

Under the proposal, Yakutsk’s mayor would no longer be elected by residents but selected by the city’s deputies. The bill now returns to the regional parliament for review.

Governor Aysen Nikolayev, who previously supported direct elections, defended their cancellation, saying it was necessary “in the conditions of the war declared against us by Western countries.”