Khabarovsk abolishes direct mayoral elections — The Moscow Times

In Khabarovsk, Russia, an aggressor state, lawmakers supported the abolition of direct mayoral elections. From now on, the city’s head will be elected by City Duma deputies from among candidates presented by the regional governor, The Moscow Times reports.

New election procedure

The Khabarovsk Krai regional assembly stated that the new procedure complies with federal legislation. Under it, the City Duma will elect the head of Khabarovsk from candidates proposed by the governor.

The decision was made several weeks after Khabarovsk Mayor Sergei Kravchuk left office. This happened after he was elected as a deputy of the lower chamber of the Russian State Duma in last month’s parliamentary elections.

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Only two regional centers

Khabarovsk became another city in the Russian Federation to abandon direct mayoral elections. The Moscow Times notes that the Kremlin launched a campaign to tighten control over local self-government in the late 2000s, and dozens of regional capitals have since abolished direct voting.

In 2024, the Russian State Duma adopted a local self-government reform that allows regional legislators to abolish mayoral elections within the framework of the so-called unified system of public authority. Direct mayoral elections among regional centers remain only in Abakan, the capital of Khakassia, and Anadyr, the administrative center of Chukotka.