The date of the State Duma elections is now official. The President's decree has been published in Russian Newspaper “Rossiyskaya Gazeta”.
President Vladimir Putin issued the decree in May 2005, stating Duma deputies will be elected on December 2, 2007. In this election, voters will be able to choose candidates only from lists provided by the parties, and not individual representatives. The parties will have to get over 7% of the vote to be represented in Russia's lower house.