The 2013 Moscow mayoral election was held on September 8, 2013, as part of the regional elections, at the same time as the elections in
Moscow Oblast
Moscow Oblast ( rus, Моско́вская о́бласть, r=Moskovskaya oblast', p=mɐˈskofskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ), or Podmoskovye ( rus, Подмоско́вье, p=pədmɐˈskovʲjə, literally " under Moscow"), is a federal subject of R ...
and other
Oblast
An oblast (; ; Cyrillic (in most languages, including Russian and Ukrainian): , Bulgarian: ) is a type of administrative division of Belarus, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Ukraine, as well as the Soviet Union and the Kingdo ...
s were held.
Elections were held after Mayor
Sergey Sobyanin had announced his departure on June 4. The elections were the first time in 10 years that citizens of the
federal city of Moscow could choose their
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...
by a
popular vote.
Moscow is both a city and separate
federal subject
The federal subjects of Russia, also referred to as the subjects of the Russian Federation (russian: субъекты Российской Федерации, subyekty Rossiyskoy Federatsii) or simply as the subjects of the federation (russian ...
, according to the
Constitution of Russia
The Constitution of the Russian Federation () was adopted by national referendum on 12 December 1993. Russia's constitution came into force on 25 December 1993, at the moment of its official publication, and abolished the Soviet system of gov ...
. Most of federal subjects are
headed by governors or presidents, but the office of the head of Moscow is called ''
Mayor of Moscow
The Mayor of Moscow (russian: Мэр Москвы, Mer Moskvy) is the head and the highest-ranking official of Moscow, who leads the Government of Moscow, the main executive body of the city.
Moscow is both a city and separate federal sub ...
'', according to the
Charter of the city of Moscow Charter of the City of Moscow (russian: Устав города Москвы) is the basic law of the federal city and capital of Russia, Moscow. In the hierarchy of normative acts of the city, the charter has supreme legal force: other city laws a ...
.
Sergey Sobyanin won with 51.37% of the vote in the first round, with
Alexei Navalny
Alexei Anatolievich Navalny ( rus, links=no, Алексей Анатольевич Навальный, , ɐlʲɪkˈsʲej ɐnɐˈtolʲjɪvʲɪtɕ nɐˈvalʲnɨj; born 4 June 1976) is a Russian opposition leader, lawyer, and anti-corruption act ...
receiving 27.24% of the vote, significantly more than previously expected by the polls. Sobyanin was declared the winner after the first round. Voter turnout was 33.23%. The total number of registered voters was 7,176,568.
Background
The position of Mayor of Moscow was elected between 1991 and 2004. In 2004,
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime min ...
suggested a law to abolish direct elections of governors, the Moscow mayor, and presidents of Russian regions. The law was swiftly adopted by the parliament. The new legislation moved the
election system to an
indirect one in which
parliamentary political parties and the
President of Russia
The president of the Russian Federation ( rus, Президент Российской Федерации, Prezident Rossiyskoy Federatsii) is the head of state of the Russian Federation. The president leads the executive branch of the federa ...
nominated a candidate who must then have been approved by the
Moscow City Duma
The Moscow City Duma (russian: Московская городская дума, Moskovskaya gorodskaya duma) is the regional parliament ( city duma) of Moscow, a federal subject and the capital city of Russia. As Moscow is one of three fede ...
. Following the
2011–13 Russian protests which followed the
2011 parliamentary election, President
Dmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev ( rus, links=no, Дмитрий Анатольевич Медведев, p=ˈdmʲitrʲɪj ɐnɐˈtolʲjɪvʲɪtɕ mʲɪdˈvʲedʲɪf; born 14 September 1965) is a Russian politician who has been serving as the dep ...
offered to re-introduce the direct elections of the governors and the mayor of Moscow, and corresponding legislation was approved by the Parliament.
On June 5, 2013, the incumbent
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...
, Sergey Sobyanin, who was nominated as mayor in 2010, announced his resignation from the post. Russian law allows the mayor to resign and run again for the same office if the president gives his approval. A short time later, Sobyanin confirmed his intention to stand for election.
Regulations
A candidate to the office must be
citizen
Citizenship is a "relationship between an individual and a state to which the individual owes allegiance and in turn is entitled to its protection".
Each state determines the conditions under which it will recognize persons as its citizens, and ...
of the Russian Federation over the age of 30. Self-nomination of candidates for the post of Mayor of Moscow, and the collection of signatures of 1% of Moscow voters (about 73 000 signatures
) in support of the nomination shall be made within 30 days of the official publication of the decision to call the election. Or alternatively these signatures are not needed for candidates from
registered political party.
Each of the political parties (electoral blocks were cancelled in the early 2000s) can nominate only one candidate for the post of mayor. In this case, the candidate can not give consent to be nominated from several polling organizations. The candidate nominated by self-nomination cannot give consent to be nominated in the same election by an electoral association.
A candidate for mayor of Moscow may have up to 100 "trusted representatives".
The maximum amount of a candidate's election fund shall not exceed 200 million rubles. In the second round of this amount may be increased by 10 percent.
Municipal filter
200px, of the election">Ballot of the election
All registered candidates are required to pass so called
municipal filter introduced be a federal law of 2012: all candidates are required to receive support from at least 6% of elected municipal deputies or heads of municipalities. Those supporting municipal deputies should represent no less than 75% of the federal subject's municipalities. One deputy can only support one candidate.
For Moscow 2013 elections it means that every candidate should provide signatures of at least 110 elected municipal deputies representing 75% of all Moscow municipalities.
Since most municipalities are controlled by the United Russia party the municipal filter is especially hard to pass for the opposition candidates.
Criteria for election
To be elected a candidate must get more than 50% of votes. If no one achieves 50%, a runoff is to be held in 14 days. Only the two most successful candidates from the first round participate in the second round.
Election date
In a vote held on June 6, 27 members of
Moscow City Duma
The Moscow City Duma (russian: Московская городская дума, Moskovskaya gorodskaya duma) is the regional parliament ( city duma) of Moscow, a federal subject and the capital city of Russia. As Moscow is one of three fede ...
backed the proposed date, and only two voted against it.
Registered candidates
Registration for the election was completed on July 17.
*
Ivan Melnikov, from the
Communist Party of the Russian Federation
The Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF; russian: Коммунистическая Партия Российской Федерации; КПРФ, Kommunisticheskaya Partiya Rossiyskoy Federatsii; KPRF) is a left-wing nationalist and ...
, a professor at
Moscow State University
M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU; russian: Московский государственный университет имени М. В. Ломоносова) is a public research university in Moscow, Russia and the most prestigious ...
.
*
Nikolai Levichev, current Chairman of
A Just Russia
A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes' ...
Party.
*
Mikhail Degtyarev, from the
Liberal Democratic Party of Russia
LDPR — Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (russian: ЛДПР — Либерально-демократическая партия России, LDPR — Liberal'no-demokraticheskaya partiya Rossii) is a right-wing populist and ultranationalist ...
.
*
Sergey Sobyanin, running as self-nominated,
acting
Mayor of Moscow
The Mayor of Moscow (russian: Мэр Москвы, Mer Moskvy) is the head and the highest-ranking official of Moscow, who leads the Government of Moscow, the main executive body of the city.
Moscow is both a city and separate federal sub ...
, one of the leaders of political party
United Russia
United Russia ( rus, Единая Россия, Yedinaya Rossiya, (j)ɪˈdʲinəjə rɐˈsʲijə) is a Conservatism in Russia, Russian conservative List of political parties in Russia, political party. As the largest party in Russia, it hold ...
, current member of bureau of the Supreme Council of the United Russia,
current member of presidium of Regional Council of the United Russia in Moscow and the head (political council secretary) of the party's Moscow branch from March 2011 to December 2012.
*
Sergey Mitrokhin
Sergey Sergeyevich Mitrokhin (Russian: Серге́й Серге́евич Митро́хин; born 20 May 1963 in Moscow) is a Russian politician.
He is a former leader of the Russian United Democratic Party "Yabloko". He was a member of the ...
, current Chairman of
Yabloko
The Russian United Democratic Party Yabloko (RUDP Yabloko) (russian: Росси́йская объединённая демократи́ческая па́ртия «Я́блоко», Rossíyskaya obyedinyónnaya demokratícheskaya pártiya "Y ...
Party, former Head of Yabloko's Moscow branch and former
Moscow City Duma
The Moscow City Duma (russian: Московская городская дума, Moskovskaya gorodskaya duma) is the regional parliament ( city duma) of Moscow, a federal subject and the capital city of Russia. As Moscow is one of three fede ...
member.
*
Alexei Navalny
Alexei Anatolievich Navalny ( rus, links=no, Алексей Анатольевич Навальный, , ɐlʲɪkˈsʲej ɐnɐˈtolʲjɪvʲɪtɕ nɐˈvalʲnɨj; born 4 June 1976) is a Russian opposition leader, lawyer, and anti-corruption act ...
, running as the candidate of the
Republican Party of Russia – People's Freedom Party
The People's Freedom Party (russian: Партия народной свободы, Partiya narodnoy svobody) or shortly PARNAS (russian: ПАРНАС), formerly Republican Party of Russia – People's Freedom Party, initially Republican Party of Ru ...
(but he is nonpartisan citizen) and supported by
Russian Opposition Coordination Council
The Russian Opposition Coordination Council (OCC or KSO; russian: Координационный совет российской оппозиции, КСО – ''Koordinatsionnyy sovet rossiyskoy oppozitsii'', KSO) was a council created in October ...
(he is a Coordination Council member), anti-corruption activist and blogger, one of the leaders of
Russian opposition
Opposition to the government of President Vladimir Putin in Russia can be divided between the parliamentary opposition parties in the State Duma and the various non-systemic opposition organizations. While the former are largely viewed as bein ...
and
protesters in 2011–13,
informal leader of the unregistered political party
People's Alliance.
Potential candidates
About 40 persons wanted to participate in the elections.
;candidates who failed "
municipal
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...
filter", not allowed to participate in elections
*
Gleb Fetisov,
one of the leaders of
Alliance of Greens – The People's Party, a member of
Public Chamber of Russia, businessman, one of the owners of
Altimo
Altimo (alt. Alfa Telecom International Mobile) is the telecommunications investment arm of Russia's Alfa Group Consortium, controlled by Russian oligarch Mikhail Fridman. Altimo investee companies operate in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Uzbe ...
*
Svetlana Peunova,
leader of
Volya Party
*
Sergey Troitsky, leader of thrash metal music band
Corrosia Metalla
*
Alyona Popova
Alyona Vladimirovna Popova (Russian: Алёна Владимировна Попова; born on 15 February 1983) is a Russian human rights activist who is known for her digital campaign against domestic violence in Russia, and as one of the found ...
,
Civilian Power
The Civilian Power or Citizens' Force (GS; russian: Гражданская сила; ГС; ''Grazhdanskaya sila'', ''GS'') is a green-liberal political party in the Russian Federation. The organization was called the Network Party for Support o ...
*
Samson Sholademi, businessman and blogger of African descent (formally he abandoned his campaign in protest against Sobyanin helping Navalny to pass the "municipal filter").
;only stated about their participation
*
Andrey Nechaev,
former
Minister of Economic Development
*
Maxim Suraykin
Maxim Alexandrovich Suraykin (russian: link=no, Максим Александрович Сурайкин; born 8 August 1978) is a Russian politician who has been the leader of the political party Communists of Russia (2012–2022) and member of ...
,
leader of political party
Communists of Russia
The Communist Party "Communists of Russia" (CPCR; russian: Коммунистическая партия «Коммунисты России»; КПКР; ''Kommunisticheskaya partiya «Kommunisty Rossii»'', ''KPKR'') or simply Communists of Russi ...
Results
The results were (turnout was 32.07%):
*
Sergey Sobyanin – 51.37%
*
Alexei Navalny
Alexei Anatolievich Navalny ( rus, links=no, Алексей Анатольевич Навальный, , ɐlʲɪkˈsʲej ɐnɐˈtolʲjɪvʲɪtɕ nɐˈvalʲnɨj; born 4 June 1976) is a Russian opposition leader, lawyer, and anti-corruption act ...
– 27.24%
*
Ivan Melnikov – 10.69%
*
Sergey Mitrokhin
Sergey Sergeyevich Mitrokhin (Russian: Серге́й Серге́евич Митро́хин; born 20 May 1963 in Moscow) is a Russian politician.
He is a former leader of the Russian United Democratic Party "Yabloko". He was a member of the ...
– 3.51%
*
Mikhail Degtyarev – 2.86%
*
Nikolai Levichev – 2.79%
* Invalid ballots – 1.53%
See also
*
Moscow Oblast Gubernatorial Election, 2013
References
External links
*'
Moscow Election Commission - Official website''
{{Use mdy dates, date=July 2013
2013 elections in Russia
2013 in Moscow
Mayoral elections in Moscow
September 2013 events in Russia