Russian legislative election, 1999
Encyclopedia
Legislative elections were held in the Russian Federation
on 19 December 1999. At stake were the 450 seats in the State Duma
(Gosudarstvennaya Duma), the lower house
of the Federal Assembly of Russia
(The legislature
). According to the 1993 electoral law, 225 members of the house were allocated proportionally
, using statewide party lists, while other 225 members were elected in single-member constituencies, using first past the post system. Like in the previous election
, this system resulted in a large number of parties competing for the proportional seats, as well as a significant number of independent deputies elected.
still existed but was not a serious political force. Individual governors launched their own “governors’ parties” to fill the vacuum and, in some cases, to advance their
own candidacies for the presidential race. Moscow
mayor Yuri Luzhkov created a bloc called Fatherland in December 1998. In January 1999, Samara
’s governor formed a bloc called Russia’s Voice. In April, Tatarstan
’s president, Shaimiev, created All Russia. Kemerovo
’s governor, Aman Tuleev, created a bloc called Revival and Unity Then in August, Luzhkov and Shaimiev merged their blocs to form Fatherland–All Russia (OVR, for its Russian initials), naming former prime minister Yevgeni Primakov as its head. This positioned Primakov as the prime contender for the presidency and the head of a powerful party of
power. A number of smaller blocs immediately joined. OVR was the apparent next party of power. From the standpoint of the governors, the ideological orientation of a bloc was of little importance; the key was to back the right candidate for president.
Yeltsin named Vladimir Putin as prime minister and presumptive successor on August 9, 1999. At the same time, Yeltsin’s entourage Boris Berezovsky
is said to have been one of the initiators of the effort—began to form a Kremlin-supported electoral bloc to win away governors’ support
from the OVR bloc. Yeltsin named Vladimir Putin as prime minister and presumptive successor
on August 9, 1999. At the same time, Yeltsin’s entourage—Boris Berezovsky is said to have been one of the initiators of the effort began to form a Kremlin-supported electoral bloc to win away governors’ support from the OVR bloc. This they did when Putin invited a sizable group of governors to the Kremlin on September 27 to express his support for the new bloc that was being formed around cabinet minister Sergei Shoigu
and to declare that “Fatherland could not be supported”. Immediately, 32 governors announced
their support for the new bloc.A few days later, on October 3, the Unity bloc
was formally launched The election was only 2 months
away, but the Kremlin had made some headway in solving the commitment
problem: Governors knew whom the Kremlin would back, and the Kremlin
knew that most governors would lend their support to the new project rather
than the rival OVR. A vicious media campaign directed against Primakov and
Luzhkov, and a successful military campaign in Chechnya
directed by Putin,
also quickly reinforced Putin’s and Unity’s standing. By late November,
Unity had surpassed OVR in the polls In
December, the effect of the remarkable turnaround in coordination was
evident: OVR took 13.3% of the party list vote; Unity, 23.3%.
The contrast between the parliamentary parties and the presidential/pro-kremlin coalitions in
the 1999 election could not be starker. First, neither Fatherland nor Unity participated
in the last election. They are both unlikely to participate in the next parliamentary
election. The 2000 presidential race was the focus of attention from the very beginning. Luzhkov created Fatherland to promote his presidential aspirations. Primakov joined Fatherland-All Russia to advance his presidential prospects. On behalf of Putin, the Kremlin created Unity to weaken Luzhkov and Primakov as presidential candidates. Neither coalition was very concerned with party development.
Also, in contrast to stable levels of support expressed throughout the fall for the four parliamentary parties, popular support for these presidential coalitions fluctuated considerably in the last four months. Negative television coverage of Luzhkov and Primakov most likely contributed to Fatherland's fall, while incessant coverage of Shoigu's every move probably helped Unity. But Putin's popularity must also figure into the equation. Putin's decisive role in Chechnya most certainly sparked this rise in public support, although few at the time believed that a second intervention into Chechnya would be popular. After all, the first intervention was extremely unpopular. Putin's popularity eventually grew beyond Chechnya as people started lo appreciate a leader of action in the Government. In addition, both of the coalitions relied heavily on regional leaders as members and allies. They fought each other for the support of governors and presidents and cared little about endorsements from parties or local legislative councils.
. In 2002, however, the agreement fell through, but Seleznyov chose to leave the Communist party in order to remain the speaker until the end of the Duma's term.
and Fatherland–All Russia (OVR), who received 23.3 percent and 13.3 percent of the vote and occupied 80 and 69 seats, respectively. Their competition soon turned into cooperation. After the consolidation of the Russian elite around Vladimir Putin
on the eve of the 2000 presidential elections, both parties of power and their allies established a pro-government coalition in the Duma. The centrist coalition of four factions and groups (Unity, OVR, Russia’s Regions, and People’s Deputy) controlled a firm majority of 235 out of 450 Duma seats. In December 2001, Unity, OVR, and Russia’s Regions joined forces and formed a new political party: United Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
on 19 December 1999. At stake were the 450 seats in the State Duma
State Duma
The State Duma , common abbreviation: Госду́ма ) in the Russian Federation is the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia , the upper house being the Federation Council of Russia. The Duma headquarters is located in central Moscow, a few steps from Manege Square. Its members are referred to...
(Gosudarstvennaya Duma), the lower house
Lower house
A lower house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house.Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide the lower house has come to wield more power...
of the Federal Assembly of Russia
Federal Assembly of Russia
The Federal Assembly of Russia is the legislature of the Russian Federation, according to the Constitution of Russian Federation, 1993...
(The legislature
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
). According to the 1993 electoral law, 225 members of the house were allocated proportionally
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
, using statewide party lists, while other 225 members were elected in single-member constituencies, using first past the post system. Like in the previous election
Russian legislative election, 1995
Legislative elections were held in the Russian Federation on December 17, 1995. At stake were the 450 seats in the State Duma , the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia ....
, this system resulted in a large number of parties competing for the proportional seats, as well as a significant number of independent deputies elected.
Rules
To secure a place on the ballot, parties had to have registered with the Ministry of Justice one year before the election (instead of six months in previous elections). As an alternative to gathering 200,000 signatures, they had the option of paying a deposit of just over two million roubles, returnable if the party won at least 3.0 percent of the list vote. In order to increase proportionality, the law provided that if parties reaching the five per cent threshold got in total 50 per cent or less of the vote, parties with at least 3.0 per cent of the vote would also win seats by declining numbers of votes up to the point at which the total share of vote exceeded 50 per cent. However, if after this procedure the parties winning seats still had less than 50 per cent of the vote, the election was to be deemed invalid. In the single-member district ballots, if votes cast against all exceeded the votes of each candidate, a repeat election had to be held within four months. As a result, repeat elections had to be held in eight districts. Finally, as an alternative to gathering signatures in support of their nomination, single-member district candidates were also given the option of paying a deposit of 83,490 roubles, returnable if s/he won at least 5.0 percent of the district vote.Campaign
Our Home Is RussiaOur Home Is Russia
Our Home – Russia , abbreviated as NDR, was a Russian political party between 1995 and early 2000.Our Home – Russia was founded in 1995 by then Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin. It was a liberal, centrist political movement, founded for the purpose of rallying more technocratic-reformist...
still existed but was not a serious political force. Individual governors launched their own “governors’ parties” to fill the vacuum and, in some cases, to advance their
own candidacies for the presidential race. Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
mayor Yuri Luzhkov created a bloc called Fatherland in December 1998. In January 1999, Samara
Samara
-Geography:*Samara Oblast, a federal subject of Russia*Samara, Russia, a city on the eastern bank of the Volga River, Russia*Samara Bend, the largest bend of the Volga River*Samara Reservoir, an informal name of Kuybyshev Reservoir on the Volga River...
’s governor formed a bloc called Russia’s Voice. In April, Tatarstan
Tatarstan
The Republic of Tatarstan is a federal subject of Russia located in the Volga Federal District. Its capital is the city of Kazan, which is one of Russia's largest and most prosperous cities. The republic borders with Kirov, Ulyanovsk, Samara, and Orenburg Oblasts, and with the Mari El, Udmurt,...
’s president, Shaimiev, created All Russia. Kemerovo
Kemerovo
Kemerovo is an industrial city in Russia, situated on the Tom River, east-northeast of Novosibirsk. It is the administrative center of Kemerovo Oblast, located in the major coal mining region of the Kuznetsk Basin...
’s governor, Aman Tuleev, created a bloc called Revival and Unity Then in August, Luzhkov and Shaimiev merged their blocs to form Fatherland–All Russia (OVR, for its Russian initials), naming former prime minister Yevgeni Primakov as its head. This positioned Primakov as the prime contender for the presidency and the head of a powerful party of
power. A number of smaller blocs immediately joined. OVR was the apparent next party of power. From the standpoint of the governors, the ideological orientation of a bloc was of little importance; the key was to back the right candidate for president.
Yeltsin named Vladimir Putin as prime minister and presumptive successor on August 9, 1999. At the same time, Yeltsin’s entourage Boris Berezovsky
Boris Berezovsky
Boris Abramovich Berezovsky is a Russian businessman, mathematician, member of Russian Academy of Sciences, and a former government official and Deputy in the Duma. He is often described as a Russian oligarch. Although once a supporter of Vladimir Putin, Berezovsky clashed with the new president...
is said to have been one of the initiators of the effort—began to form a Kremlin-supported electoral bloc to win away governors’ support
from the OVR bloc. Yeltsin named Vladimir Putin as prime minister and presumptive successor
on August 9, 1999. At the same time, Yeltsin’s entourage—Boris Berezovsky is said to have been one of the initiators of the effort began to form a Kremlin-supported electoral bloc to win away governors’ support from the OVR bloc. This they did when Putin invited a sizable group of governors to the Kremlin on September 27 to express his support for the new bloc that was being formed around cabinet minister Sergei Shoigu
Sergei Shoigu
Sergey Kuzhugetovich Shoygu is a Russian political figure who has been Minister of Emergency Situations since 1994. He is a ethnic Tuvan and holds the military rank of General of the Army. He is also the President of the International Sport Federation of Firefighters and Rescuers...
and to declare that “Fatherland could not be supported”. Immediately, 32 governors announced
their support for the new bloc.A few days later, on October 3, the Unity bloc
was formally launched The election was only 2 months
away, but the Kremlin had made some headway in solving the commitment
problem: Governors knew whom the Kremlin would back, and the Kremlin
knew that most governors would lend their support to the new project rather
than the rival OVR. A vicious media campaign directed against Primakov and
Luzhkov, and a successful military campaign in Chechnya
Chechnya
The Chechen Republic , commonly referred to as Chechnya , also spelled Chechnia or Chechenia, sometimes referred to as Ichkeria , is a federal subject of Russia . It is located in the southeastern part of Europe in the Northern Caucasus mountains. The capital of the republic is the city of Grozny...
directed by Putin,
also quickly reinforced Putin’s and Unity’s standing. By late November,
Unity had surpassed OVR in the polls In
December, the effect of the remarkable turnaround in coordination was
evident: OVR took 13.3% of the party list vote; Unity, 23.3%.
The contrast between the parliamentary parties and the presidential/pro-kremlin coalitions in
the 1999 election could not be starker. First, neither Fatherland nor Unity participated
in the last election. They are both unlikely to participate in the next parliamentary
election. The 2000 presidential race was the focus of attention from the very beginning. Luzhkov created Fatherland to promote his presidential aspirations. Primakov joined Fatherland-All Russia to advance his presidential prospects. On behalf of Putin, the Kremlin created Unity to weaken Luzhkov and Primakov as presidential candidates. Neither coalition was very concerned with party development.
Also, in contrast to stable levels of support expressed throughout the fall for the four parliamentary parties, popular support for these presidential coalitions fluctuated considerably in the last four months. Negative television coverage of Luzhkov and Primakov most likely contributed to Fatherland's fall, while incessant coverage of Shoigu's every move probably helped Unity. But Putin's popularity must also figure into the equation. Putin's decisive role in Chechnya most certainly sparked this rise in public support, although few at the time believed that a second intervention into Chechnya would be popular. After all, the first intervention was extremely unpopular. Putin's popularity eventually grew beyond Chechnya as people started lo appreciate a leader of action in the Government. In addition, both of the coalitions relied heavily on regional leaders as members and allies. They fought each other for the support of governors and presidents and cared little about endorsements from parties or local legislative councils.
Results
As a result of the elections, Communists returned with a tiny increase in their share of votes, but with a significant loss of seats, still retaining the plurality. The Unity bloc came close second, but was seen as the true winner of the elections. In January 2000, Unity formed a coalition agreement with the Communists, reelecting Gennady Seleznyov as the Speaker of the DumaSpeaker of the Duma
The Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation , also called Speaker , is the presiding officer of the lower house of the Russian parliament...
. In 2002, however, the agreement fell through, but Seleznyov chose to leave the Communist party in order to remain the speaker until the end of the Duma's term.
Aftermath
The major contenders in the 1999 parliamentary elections were two parties of power, UnityUnity
Unity is the state of being undivided or unbroken.Unity may also refer to:-Education:* Unity College Northampton, United Kingdom* Unity College , United Kingdom* Unity College , United States...
and Fatherland–All Russia (OVR), who received 23.3 percent and 13.3 percent of the vote and occupied 80 and 69 seats, respectively. Their competition soon turned into cooperation. After the consolidation of the Russian elite around Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
on the eve of the 2000 presidential elections, both parties of power and their allies established a pro-government coalition in the Duma. The centrist coalition of four factions and groups (Unity, OVR, Russia’s Regions, and People’s Deputy) controlled a firm majority of 235 out of 450 Duma seats. In December 2001, Unity, OVR, and Russia’s Regions joined forces and formed a new political party: United Russia
United Russia
United Russia is a centrist political party in Russia and the largest party in the country, currently holding 315 of the 450 seats in the State Duma. The party was founded in December 2001, through a merger of the Unity and Fatherland-All Russia parties...
Further reading
- Hesli, Vicki L. & William M. Reisinger (2003). The 1999–2000 Elections in Russia: Their Impact and Legacy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521816769
-
- reviewed by Luke March in: Slavic ReviewSlavic ReviewSlavic Review is a leading international peer-reviewed academic journal publishing scholarly studies and book reviews in all disciplines concerned with Russia, Central Eurasia, and Eastern and Central Europe...
63.4 (Winter 2004), 897–898.- Russian general elections
- Final report on the parliamentary elections in the Russian Federation, 19 December 1999, OSCE, 13 February 2000.
- Ad hoc Committee to observe the parliamentary elections in Russia (19 December 1999), PACEParliamentary Assembly of the Council of EuropeThe Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe , which held its first session in Strasbourg on 10 August 1949, can be considered the oldest international parliamentary assembly with a pluralistic composition of democratically elected members of parliament established on the basis of an...
Report. 24 January 2000.
- reviewed by Luke March in: Slavic Review