Ivan Rodin
The Duma waves the right to hear the Prime Minister's reports
The presidential amendments to the Constitution, including bolstering Parliament's control over the Government, will be enacted in mid-January. Yesterday corresponding alterations to Duma regulations were introduced in the lower chamber. Incumbent MPs could have used their new right in February or March, had they adopted this initiative before the new year. But the MPs seem unwilling to expand their authority. Clearly, during the next half a year the format of the lower chamber's dialogue with the Cabinet will remain unchanged. The most important point is that the document lacks a provision about the necessity for the Prime Minister to report to the Duma.
The Duma is going to slightly change the format of so-called government hours. A proposal to alter Duma regulations will be submitted to today's plenary session, which is this year's final Duma meeting. From the MPs' viewpoint, meetings with ministries should become more frequent and shorter. So, instead of regular meetings twice a month lasting two and a half hours, government hours will be held weekly and last only an hour and a half.
This was proposed by Duma Speaker Boris Gryzlov, who thinks that the government hour format should be changed because the MPs usually invite too many ministers at a time, and some of the ministers do not have enough time to speak.
Coordinator of the Communist Party, Sergei Reshulsky believes that such amendments to Duma regulations will only restrict the MPs' authority, especially that of opposition party members, who will lose the right to make officials accountable for their movements. "Instead of two questions, each party can now ask only one," Mr Reshulsky says. Also, according to Reshulsky, it is common practice that government hours be shifted or even cancelled, no matter how often they are held. For example, MPs had to wait for Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin's report on the expenditure of the Stabilisation Fund's money for over two months.
At the same time, the Communist Party coordinator appears to be unaware of the preparation of other amendments to Duma regulations regarding the Government's annual reports before the lower chamber. Mr Reshulsky says he heard that a committee was organised, but he knows nothing about its activity. Remarkably, when in November the State Duma started to consider the presidential amendments to the Constitution, United Russia argued that the Duma will demand the first report from the Government in early 2009.
The NG correspondent tried to find out whether Prime Minister Putin will deliver his first report before the United Russia-dominated Duma in February or March. Apparently, nothing of the kind is going to take place. No alterations to the Duma regulations related to Parliament's new authority are being drafted. According to NG's United Russia sources, Duma leadership seems to believe that there is no need to alter the regulations; in their view, this document provides enough details about the Duma's interaction with the Government.
Curiously, the Communists are echoing United Russia. For example, Nikolai Kolomeitsev from the Communist Party told NG that the regulations already envision the Government's reporting to the Duma. However, when the NG correspondent asked him which article is devoted to this issue, Mr Kolomeitsev replied that it is the article about the vote of no confidence in the Government. Evidently, the current Duma majority would never initiate this procedure.
Interestingly, during debates about the amendments to the Constitution First Deputy Chairman of the Duma Committee for Constitutional Law Alexander Moskalets pointed out that the law provides for the Duma's "hearing" the Government's reports. According to Mr Moskalets, if the word "to consider" were used, a report would have to be written, but since the word "to hear" is used, an official is to report orally.
However, Mr Reshulsky reminded that the Government has its spokesperson in the Duma - Andrei Loginov. "He will read the Cabinet's reports to us," Mr Reshulsky said ironically, adding "Don't you see the imbroglio United Russia has found itself in? Its leader is the Prime Minister, so they cannot make him report to them and they cannot criticise him!"
