Top news Kurgan Region: United Russia, Fair Russia, Public Chamber

Politicians of the Kurgan Region look forward to fullfill the tasks given at the X Congress of the United Russia

November 17 – November 23, political parties and voting system

Political life of the Kurgan Region last week concentrated around the X Congress of the United Russia which gathered top regional officials. The region discusses corrections to the budget of 2009, and adopts a new voting system. Review details of the last week events in the weekly report by UralPolit.Ru.

Congress of the United Russia

United Russia members returned to Kurgan Region on November 21 after the party’s X Congress and shared their impressions at a press conference. Delegates said that Aleksey Dudich, regional division’s secretary, was elected to the General Council of the United Russia.

Vladimir Ostapenko, former member of the Agrarian Party, commented that he was happy to hear Vladimir Putin put agriculture on the same priority level with oil industry, defense and machine building.

Vladimir Ostapenko also mentioned possibilities of correcting the regional budget following suggestions of Vladimir Putin and a necessity to adjust to the new economic situation in the world and the country.

Voting system reform

Deputies of the Kurgan Regional Duma prepared amendments to the system of municipal elections. Two systems are suggested for use: proportional and mixed (involving political parties’ lists and single-member constituencies). Majority-based system will be allowed for use in small villages and minor towns. Amendments came necessary following passing of similar regulations on the federal level in October this year.

Additionally, regional deputies established new dates for the coming municipal elections. They will take place on the second Sunday of October, 2009 and the second Sunday of March 2010.
Dividing the procedure into two parts is explained by the federal law that prohibits checking in more than 4 voting papers at a time.

New structure of the Public Chamber

Authorities of Kurgan started to form a new structure of the city’s Public Chamber on November 19. Kurgan’s Public Chamber comprises of 21 members. 7 are appointed by the City Duma, 7 – by the Head of Kurgan and the rest 7 candidates are picked among the local public unions and non-profit organizations. Rotation of members occurs once in two years.

Now there are 14 new members in the Chamber appointed by the City Duma and Head of Kurgan. They will review candidates from public organizations.

Opposition inside Fair Russia in Kurgan

Highly intense scandal evolved last week among members of the regional division of the political party Fair Russia. The new leaders of the division Yury Kunshin, Aleksandr Rusaev and Lev Sklyar withdrew membership of the former local leaders and a number of young and active members causing accusations of discrimination, not holding required meetings and falsification of meetings protocols. Former leaders of the party’s division Ivan Kamshilov and Aleksandr Kutepov addressed Sergey Mironov, Moscow leader of Fair Russia, with the request to hold an extra meeting and decide upon unfair membership withdrawals.

Yury Kunshin also had a word to say against the former division activists. He referred to their independent actions going against the party’s Charter and jeopardizing Fair Russia’s reputation.