50 Political Parties Registered in Russia

The Russian Justice Ministry has already received notices from 75 organizational committees informing it of the intention to set up a political party, the ministry's head Yuri Chaika reported on Wednesday.

By now the ministry has already registered 50 political parties on the basis of the new federal law "On Political Parties", he said. It is especially important to analyze the law's application in connection with the forthcoming parliamentary and presidential elections in Russia, Chaika pointed out. It is the Justice Ministry that will submit the list of parties eligible for participation in electoral blocs to the country's Central Election Committee, he emphasized.

The federal law "On Political Parties" came into force in July 2001. It envisages a two-year transitional period when all public political unions registered under the earlier existing legislation should define their future and either transform into political parties or lose in July 2003 their political status and the right to participate in elections.

At the same time, in July 2001, the ministry started to register Russia's new political parties.