Monitoring of the Federal Legislation dated 15.12.2004

Federal Law No. 159-FZ of December 11, 2004 on the Amendments to the Federal Law on the General Principles of Organisation of the Legislative (Representative) and Executive Bodies of State Power of the Subjects of the Russian Federation and the Federal Law on the Main Guarantees of Electoral Rights and the Right to Participate in the Referendum of the Citizens of the Russian Federation

According to the amendments, the higher official of the subject of the Russian Federation (head of the higher executive body of state power of the subject of the Russian Federation) is empowered with appropriate authority by the legislative (representative) body of state power of the subject of the Russian Federation at the presentation of the President of the Russian Federation.

The Law specifies the procedure and time limits for the nomination of the candidate of the higher official of the subject of the Russian Federation by the President of the Russian Federation and examination of the suggestion by the legislative body of the subject of the Russian Federation. Such proposal is introduced 35 days in advance of the expiry of the period of authority of the higher official of the subject of the Russian Federation, and the legislative body of the subject of the Russian Federation shall examine it within 14 days. The decision is considered adopted if more than half of the deputies of the legislative body of the subject of the Russian Federation has voted for it, and more than half of the deputies (members) of each of the chambers in a two-chamber legislative body. The Law also envisages the procedure and time limits for another nomination of the higher official of the subject of the Russian Federation and examination of the proposal by the legislative body of the subject of the Russian Federation in cases of rejection of the suggested candidate by the legislative body of the subject of the Russian Federation.

Besides, the Law envisages the procedure of assigning of an acting higher official of the subject of the Russian Federation by the President of the Russian Federation in a number of cases, also refines the grounds and procedure of temporary dismissal of the higher official of the subject of the Russian Federation.

The Law changes the procedure of an early termination of the authority of the legislative (representative) body of state power of the subject of the Russian Federation in individual cases. After a warning, the President of the Russian Federation may dissolve with his decree the legislative (representative) body of state power of the subject of the Russian Federation. Earlier, the draft law on the dissolving must have been introduced in the State Duma of the Russian Federation.

The Law introduces a transient provision stating that the provisions of the Federal Law pertaining to the procedure of empowering of the citizen of the Russian Federation with authority of the higher official of the subject of the Russian Federation do not apply if the election of the higher official of the subject of the Russian Federation has been appointed before the entry into force of the Federal Law.

The earlier elected higher officials of the subjects of the Russian Federation (heads of the higher executive bodies of state power of the subjects of the Russian Federation) who were elected before the entry into force of the Federal Law shall implement their authority until expiry of the specified period of authority.

The Federal Law is entered into force from the day of its official publication. The text of the Federal Law has been published in Rossiyskaya Gazeta on December 15, 2004, No. 277.

Order of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation No. 185 of December 3, 2004 on the Creation of the Registration Districts Covered by the Territorial Bodies of the Federal Registration Service

Lists the names of the created territorial bodies and the subjects of the Russian Federation with the territories forming the mentioned districts.

The Order is entered into force from January 1, 2005.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on December 9, 2004. Reg. No. 6181.

Order of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation No. 184 of December 3, 2004 on the Endorsement of the Procedure of Assigning of the Chief State Recorders by the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation

The chief state recorders are assigned to their positions and dismissed from them by the Ministry of Justice of Russia. The nomination of the candidates for the position of the chief state recorder of the appropriate subject (subjects) of the Russian Federation is vested in the Federal Registration Service of Russia.

Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on December 9, 2004. Reg. No. 6178.