Article 53. Conditions of Election Campaigning, Referendum Campaigning by Means of Mass Events
1. State bodies and bodies of local self-government shall assist registered candidates, electoral associations, electoral blocs, referendum initiative group, other referendum participant groups in organizing meetings with voters, referendum participants, public debates and discussions, rallies, demonstrations and marches.
2. Applications for the provision of premises to hold meetings of registered candidates and their agents, representatives of electoral associations, electoral blocs with voters, representatives of referendum initiative group and other referendum participant groups with referendum participants shall be considered by state bodies and bodies of local self-government within three days of the day of submission thereof. Notifications of organizers of rallies, demonstrations and marches shall be considered by bodies of local self-government within seven days of the day when they are received, in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation.
3. On the basis of an application made by a registered candidate, electoral association, electoral bloc, initiative group of voters, referendum initiative group, premises which are suitable for holding mass events and are state- or municipality-owned shall be made available by the owner, proprietor, free of charge and for a time to be established by the commission that is vested with such responsibility by law, to registered candidates, their agents, representatives of electoral associations, electoral blocs for meetings with voters, representatives of the referendum initiative group, other referendum participant groups with referendum participants. Commissions shall ensure equal conditions in holding mass events for registered candidates, electoral associations, electoral blocs, referendum initiative group, other referendum participant groups.
4. If the premises indicated in Clause 3 of this article or the premises owned by an organization with a charter capital in which the state and/or municipality holds a stake exceeding 30 percent as of the day of the official publication of the decision to call the election or the referendum, were provided for holding an election-relation mass event to one of the aforementioned persons, the owner, proprietor of the premises shall not refuse to provide the premises to another person out of the aforementioned persons on the same terms and conditions.
5. Candidates, electoral associations, electoral blocs, a referendum initiative group, and other referendum participant groups may rent, on a contractual basis, buildings and premises belonging to citizens and organizations of all forms of ownership to hold meetings with voters, referendum participants, rallies, public debates, discussions and other mass events.
6. Election campaigning and public speeches by registered candidates at an event funded, organized or conducted for the public by bodies of state power, bodies of local self-government, state or municipal enterprises or institutions shall be allowed only provided that all registered candidates of this electoral district were notified of such event and granted an opportunity to speak at this event.
7. No election campaigning, referendum campaigning shall be allowed on the territory of military units, in military organizations and institutions, save the case where the only building, premises suitable for meetings with voters is/are located within the territory of a military unit. Such building, premises shall be provided for campaigning events by the commander of the military unit at the request of a relevant commission. Meetings of registered candidates, their agents, representatives of electoral associations, electoral blocs with voters who are military servicemen, and meetings of representatives of a referendum initiative group and other referendum participant groups with referendum participants who are military servicemen shall be ensured by the commander of the military unit together with the relevant commission, subject to a mandatory requirement that all registered candidates or their agents, representatives of the referendum initiative group and other referendum participant groups be notified of the time and the place of such meeting not later than three days before the day of the meeting.
8. Security at mass events organized for the purposes of election campaigning, referendum campaigning shall be ensured by the state bodies in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation.
