Media: New State Duma may be the last elected by the people
On September 29, the first meeting of the new State Duma of Russia opens, at which organizational issues will be decided - the election of new leaders of the lower house of the Russian parliament. After congratulating the head of state and carrying out a number of other procedures, the deputies will start very intensive legislative work in October. However, this convocation of the State Duma of the Russian Federation may be the last, which was elected by the people, writes the Italian Internet edition AsiaNews.
Putin's regime wants to use legislation to protect against dissent. New restrictions on the opposition and an increase in the use of e-voting, more controlled from the top, are expected. There is even a proposal to replace the elections with a referendum confirming confidence in the authorities.
- reports the media.
The publication believes that the results of the last parliamentary elections left a bitter aftertaste among the Russian leaders. They reaffirmed their authority, but they also exposed growing social discontent. Therefore, the functionaries intend to use the upcoming five-year period to strengthen their positions.
The authorities want to avoid surprises in any future elections. Therefore, e-voting is likely to be widespread at all levels, from local to presidential elections. Thus, they want to prevent “foreign influence” and the coming to power of “extremist groups”. Media and IT giants will be monitored.
Another measure is the transition to an almost entirely majoritarian and single-mandate electoral system in order to deprive parties of their influence, even if a solid majority is in the hands of "Putinists." The most radical proposal would be to cancel the elections and replace them with simple confidence referenda, given that the population showed little interest in challenging the electoral lists.
Several deputies from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation declared their readiness to hold open “meeting-rallies” with their constituents. Other mass actions will be extremely difficult to carry out, since practically any form of demonstration is now prohibited in the Russian Federation. In 2022, elections are to be held in Russia at the municipal level, but many fear that they may become the last in the "Putin era", the media summed up.
- FOTOBANK.ER/wikimedia.org
Information