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Article 53
 

1. Candidates who hold state or elected municipal offices or are on state or municipal service; candidates who are members of bodies of organizations regardless of their legal form (for organizations the supreme bodies of which are general meetings – also members of governing bodies of such organizations) with an exception of political parties; as well as candidates who are officials, journalists or other staff members of mass media organizations during the election campaign shall refrain from taking advantage of their office or official position.


2. Registered candidates who are on state or municipal service or who work for mass media organizations shall, during their participation in elections of deputies of the State Duma, be relieved from their office duties. A certified copy of relevant order (resolution) shall be submitted


1) in relation to the candidate included in a registered federal list of candidates - by authorized representative of the political party to the CEC not later than five days from the date of registration of a federal list of candidates, which includes such a candidate;


2) candidate, registered for single-mandate electoral district, - to corresponding DEC no later than five days from the date of registration of the candidate.


3. Non-candidates who hold state or elected municipal offices or are on state or municipal service; or who are members of bodies of organizations regardless of their legal form (for organizations the supreme bodies of which are general meetings – also members of governing bodies of such organizations) with an exception of political parties; as well as officials, journalists or other staff members of mass media organizations during the election campaign shall refrain from taking advantage of their office or official position to promote the nomination of federal lists of candidates and (or) the election of candidates placed thereon.


4. In this Federal Law taking advantage of an office or official position shall mean:


1) involvement of persons who are subordinate to or dependent on a candidate in the line of duty, other state and municipal employees in activities carried out during the working hours to promote nomination of federal lists of candidates, and candidates, and (or) election of a candidate;


2) use of premises occupied by state bodies or bodies of local government, organization regardless of their legal form (with an exception of premises occupied by political parties) for activities promoting nomination and/or election of a candidate (candidates) if the use of the same premises is not guaranteed to other candidates on the same terms and conditions;


3) use of telephone, fax and other facilities of communication, information services, office equipment of state bodies or bodies of local government, state and municipal institutions, organizations regardless of legal form (with an exception of the said facilities of communication, information services, office equipment used for everyday activities of political parties) for election campaigning unless their use is not paid for at the expense of a respective electoral fund;


4) use of transportation owned by state or municipal bodies, by organizations (with an exception of transportation owned by political parties) at no charge or reduced charges for activities promoting nomination and/or election of a candidate (candidates). This provision shall not apply to persons using the said transport facilities in accordance with the Russian Federation laws on the security services provided by the state;


5) collection of signatures or election campaigning carried out by persons who hold state and municipal elected offices or are in state or municipal service, or are heads of local administrations, or members of bodies of organizations regardless of their legal status (for organizations the supreme bodies of which are general meetings – also members of governing bodies of such organizations) with an exception of political parties during business trips (paid for from the respective budget or funds of organizations);


6) privileged access (compared to other candidates) to the state and municipal mass media for collection of signatures or election campaigning;


7) campaign speech at mass events organized during an election campaign by a state and (or) municipal body, organization regardless of their legal form (with an exception of political parties);


8) publication of any work progress reports during an campaign period, mailing of congratulations and other materials on behalf of a candidate unless such mailing is paid for out of a relevant electoral fund.


5. Compliance with the restrictions listed in зфке 4 of this article must not prevent deputies from exercising their powers and performing their obligations to voters.


6. Officials, journalists and other persons holding creative jobs in mass media organizations shall not participate in highlighting an election campaign in the mass media if these persons are candidates or authorized agents, or proxies of political parties.