Izvestia: "Vladimir Putin’s report to the State Duma"
The tradition of the government's annual report to the Duma is very young. A relevant amendment to the Constitution was made in December 2008. So, today's report by Putin to the Duma is a third one in its history. Duma Speaker Boris Gryzlov reported earlier that "the entire procedure will take about three hours – from noon to 3 p.m." During this time the prime minister will read his report and answer 12 questions – three from each parliamentary party. Then at an additional plenary meeting the Duma deputies will discuss what they heard and decide to endorse the report or not.
Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov told Izvestia that "a very interesting conversation is in store. Putin was getting ready for it yesterday and today. He will deliver an interesting speech, concentrating on the economy and the social sphere."
Perskov added: "We understand more or less what deputies will ask. Some people lavishly shared their information with the media while others expressed their wishes for work with our representatives." During the last month Putin held meetings with the leaders of all four parliamentary parties and listened to their questions, proposals and remarks. Communists, for one, were interested in the tariffs for everything, United Russia members traditionally focused on social issues and A Just Russia party emphasised support of the countryside and struggle against corruption. The Liberal Democratic Party proposed changing the days of professional holidays (such as the CheKa Day) and pay attention to the advantages of thorium nuclear reactors.
What did the deputies discuss during the prime minister's previous visits to the Duma? The waves of the world economic crisis reached Russia in the spring of 2009. It was only natural that the prime minister laid the main accent in his speech on the government's efforts to counter the crisis. A year later the crisis receded and Putin announced the end of the recession in Russia. He said that the government had done much to support the economy and prevent the collapse of the banking system and the industry and that now the turn came to take care of ordinary citizens.
Most deputies attend the government's reports (last year 445 out of 450 MPs registered). Many of them do not simply ask questions. Thus Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov demanded twice during such meetings that the government be dismissed or that at least the finance and defence ministers should be demoted. Liberal Democratic Party leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky demanded on both occasions immediate resignation of Yury Luzhkov from the position of the mayor of Moscow (now he will have to demand something else).
What do experts expect from Putin's report this time?
This is what political analyst Vyacheslav Nikonov said on this score: "Needless to say, the prime minister will not say that the government will complete its work in March 2012. The government must always work for the future and everyone is interested what strategy the government will suggest. There are many questions about insurance contributions and state monopolies. So, Vladimir Putin is likely to set forth some strategic goals."
Expert of the Centre for Current Politics Pavel Salin is convinced that the prime minister will not make any sensational statements.
"There will be no sensations. Putin will again reiterate the government's readiness to keep its social commitments. The question is whether these commitments will be increased. Most probably, the government's report will be an answer to the statement of the Strategy-2020 lobbyists who suggest reducing social obligations. Putin has already said the government will not do that and will probably repeat it again."
Salin said the prime minister may use the rostrum to announce an increase in pensions in August. The budget is big enough for that. To sum up, Putin will make a socially-oriented speech as he did last year.
Rosagroleasing lost some equipment
Roasgroleasing (the largest state owned agro industrial leasing company in Russia) CEO Valery Nazarov told Prime Minister Vladimir Putin that his company will not be able to fulfill his instructions at the Tambov Farmers' Congress to grant equipment to agricultural producers at a 50% discount. At any rate, it won't be able to carry them out in full. The company is missing 158 out of 6,150 units of equipment. Nazarov explains: "On paper this equipment is listed as ours but we don't have it." "Wait a moment, where has it all gone?" Putin queried. Nazarov replied: "Apparently, the equipment is in the field against the law." Putin advised Nazarov to address law-enforcement bodies and promised to get back to him on this issue in a couple of weeks.
Anastasia Savinykh
