Russian Duma opposes election of lawmakers from extremist orgs

Moscow, May 18 (Prensa Latina) Russia's State Duma on Tuesday adopted, in the first reading, a draft bill that bans citizens involved in extremist or terrorist activities from being elected lawmakers.

May 18, 2021
11:51

In order to become a law, the draft bill must be approved in the second and third readings by the Lower House of Parliament and the Council of the Federation (the Senate).

Approved by 293 votes in favor and 45 against, the document was submitted by a group of parliamentarians, including the chairman of the Duma’s Security and Anticorruption Committee, Vasili Piskarev, from the United Russia party, TASS news agency reported.

The draft bill establishes that any citizens who participate in activities by public or religious associations, as well as organizations recognized by the Russian Prosecutor’s Office as extremist or terrorist, have no right to be elected members of the Duma.

The advocates of the draft bill favor the introduction of amendments to Article 4 of the Federal Law on the election of lawmakers to the Lower House.

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