#3 - RW 286
Russian presidential elections to be held on March 14, 2004

MOSCOW. Dec 10 (Interfax) - The Federation Council on Wednesday ruled to hold Russia's presidential elections on March 14, 2004.

The decision was adopted unanimously.

Yury Sharandin, chief of the committee on constitutional legislation, told Interfax that "it is the Federation Council's constitutional right to set the date for elections of the head of state."

Under the law, elections have to be set for the second Sunday of the month in which the last presidential elections were held.

"They were held on March 26, 2000," he said.

Sharandin said that setting the date for presidential elections "is not a purely technical procedure, as many people think."

"Following the Federation Council's decision on the date for the elections and its announcement, all the necessary procedural measures will start to be taken. What is most important is that starting from this moment, candidates can be nominated for the highest post in the state. Preparations for polling stations and [elections] commissions will be launched," the senator said.

"The Federation Council's decision on the date for holding the presidential elections will be announced in the media on the following day," Sharandin said.