The October 14 New York Times carries a front-page story about new ballot access restrictions in Russia, which are keeping certain parties off the December 2007 Parliamentary ballot even though those same parties were able to elect members of the Duma in the last election. The article is here.

The last election for the Duma was in 2003, when parties needed petitions signed by 10,000 signers to be on the nationwide ballot in Duma elections. The petition says that all signers are members of that party. The Duma has 450 seats. The new rules require 50,000 such signatures throughout the nation. The article does not say how many parties have been able to comply, but it says the Republican Party is being kept off the ballot. The Republican Party and its leader, Vladimir Ryzhkov, are described by the Times as fervent advocates for democracy. Ryzhkov cannot run for re-election because his party was told that it failed to submit 50,000 valid signatures. Ryzhkov says his party easily met the standard, but said officials ignored the evidence in a sham proceeding.

On October 13, the Virginia Republican Party voted to use a convention, not a primary, for the U.S. Senate race in 2008. The vote was 47-37. Those who support a convention said one reason they voted for a convention was that they don’t want outsiders helping choose the Republican nominee. Although the party won a lawsuit on October 1 in the 4th circuit on this matter, the ruling only applies when the party is being forced to hold a primary. In this instance, the decision was the party’s to make, so the ruling doesn’t apply.

Virginia law lets incumbents who are running for re-election dictate whether the party will use a convention or a primary. In the case of the U.S. Senate race, no Republican is running for re-election. Incumbent Senator John Warner is retiring.