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| 08 октября, 2013

Experts Discuss the Future of Political Parties with Volodin

Vedomosti Publication

By Maxim Glikin

Vyacheslav Volodin, First Deputy head of the Presidential Administration visited the offices of the Foundation for Civil Society Development (FCSD) and met with its experts. FCSD is headed by Volodin’s former employee, Konstantin Kostin, the ex head of the Kremlin’s Department of Internal Policy who confirmed that they discussed the results of the elections in the context of the development of the political system; key trends and forecasts for the upcoming elections and the Foundation’s various programmes.

The meeting was held in discursive, working atmosphere during which many interesting ideas were flagged up and developed. Volodin pointed out that he regularly turns to the Foundation’s various experts to confer with them about the political agenda of the day.

The discussion centred around how the transition to a mixed system of elections to the State Duma (50% by party lists and 50% in single-seat constituencies) and to a predominantly majority system in regional and local elections (25% by party lists and 75% in local districts) will affect the political parties. At present the bills on the new method of holding elections are being reviewed by the State Duma.

‘Increasing the role of single mandate candidates will lead to a form of natural selection whereby the number of major political players will be brought to order’ says Kostin. Major parties will find it easier to promote their candidates in the regions than the newcomers will, he says, adding that belonging to a well-known party and having solid resources will prove an additional advantage for the single mandate candidate.

At present there are over 70 parties and the number continues to grow. But, says Kostin, too much choice is not always a good thing for the voter. However after a few iterations, the electoral situation will become clearer: a few parties will, without a doubt be in the ‘Top League’ and others will be in the ‘First’ or ‘Second’ leagues and will basically just serve as public organisations. This is what developed democracies in Europe have found – in particular in France, Great Britain and Germany where the candidates are voted for by region.

Increasing the role of single-mandate candidates will be good for small parties as well as for ‘United Russia’ insists Kostin. Only a very few parties will be able to break through the 5% barrier of votes, yet to put forward 3 to 4 single mandate candidates is perfectly feasible – as shown by recent experience in Russia when independent candidates won in spite of the efforts of the ruling authorities and Governors (for example Nikolai Gonchar and Alexander Korzhakov.)

A source in the Presidential Administration says that so far this is all at the stage of discussion and consultation: no decision is planned on the basis of these meetings.