IRKUTSK, April 16 (RIA Novosti, Alexander Batalin) - The Irkutsk Region and the Ust-Ordynsky Buryat Autonomous Area in Siberia are holding a referendum on unification, the regional electoral commission said Sunday.

"If more than half of electors in each of the two regions come to the polls and vote in favor of unification, the federal authorities will have the right to pass a constitutional act on creating a new Federation member," said Viktor Ignatenko, the chairman of the regional electoral commission.

He added that after a transitional period, January 1, 2008 could become the date of creating the united Irkutsk Region.

The Ust-Ordynsky Buryat Autonomous Area was part of the Irkutsk Region before 1993 and has had the status of an independent constituent member in the past 13 years.

In accordance with law, governor of the Irkutsk Region Alexander Tishanin and head of the administration of the Ust-Ordynsky Buryat Autonomous Area Valery Maleyev came up with an initiative to merge both regions into a single constituent member.