Aysen Nikolayev has commented for the first time on the bill that would abolish direct elections for municipal district heads in Yakutia. Speaking at a press conference on December 26, he explained his shift in stance after supporting popular elections for years.
"We are living [...] in a state of war declared by Western countries. Missiles guided by the West are being launched at us, and our military ships are exploding in international waters for unknown reasons. Within the country, we must remain as united and focused as possible. Sanctions and pressure will not cease after the special military operation ends. Many people harbor the illusion that the war will end tomorrow and everything will be back to the way it was. Nothing will ever be the same. We have passed the point of no return," Aysen Nikolayev stated.
He further added that electing mayors through a deputy vote aligns with the Russian Constitution, which "has been amended," and that this process does not "contradict democratic principles."
On December 7, deputies from the Yakutsk City Duma submitted the bill to abolish direct mayoral elections, citing the intention to save 65 million rubles, approximately 0.4% of the city's 2025 budget, as one of the reasons.
The New People faction opposed the abolition of direct elections, while the Yabloko party held an authorized rally against the initiative. Following the protest, Anatoly Nogovitsyn, head of Yabloko’s regional branch, was fined 10,000 rubles for violating rally regulations.
Despite opposition from the two parties, the majority of City Duma deputies voted in favor of the bill, which is now under consideration by Il Tumen, Yakutia's State Assembly.
