“Izvestia”: “Thank you to you all...”
The last meeting of the State Duma's fifth convocation took place on November 23. The parliamentary parties summed up the results of their work and listened to the prime minister's closing speech. However, even on their last day in the lower chamber, the deputies were showing a lack of discipline: only three parties of four gave their concluding reports; some deputies did not even show up, while some of those who did, did not consider it necessary to rise to their feet to greet Mr Putin.
The prime minister could not overlook the absence of so many deputies.
"I would like to express my gratitude to every member of the State Duma, regardless of their political or parliamentary party. Thank you to all of you who stood up today and also to those who thought themselves unable to," the prime minister said, with a smile.
Deputies from A Just Russia and the Russian Communist Party did not rise to their feet. Communist first deputy chairman, Sergei Reshulsky, told Izvestia that his colleagues had intended to put on a show of even greater protest. "To tell the truth, I personally asked my colleagues to not boo and heckle Mr Putin," he said.
Parliamentary party chairman of A Just Russia Nikolai Levichev told Izvestia that "It was everyone's own decision; they were led by their manners. It was not a party decision. I stood up because I was taught to do so by my parents. Sergei Mironov, I believe, did not stand up."
Deputies from the United Russia parliamentary party also put it down to a lack of manners. First Deputy Leader of the party, Vladimir Pekhtin, said, "Vladimir Putin, the head of the supreme executive body, came here to thank the members of this body and the opposition turned the event into a political farce."
The last plenary session of the Duma was not well attended either. Despite all the measures taken to improve discipline, many members of parliament did not even show up to listen to the prime minister's address. A total of 301 people were officially registered for the meeting before the break, although when the hour came of Vladimir Putin's expected arrival, the number increased to 416. Attendees told Izvestia that about a quarter of the seats were empty.
Many well known deputies ignored the prime minister's address, including, Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov and his colleagues Zhores Alfyorov and Vladimir Komoyedov. Some United Russia members did not attend either, for example, Duma Budget Committee deputy chairman Alexander Kogan, Duma CIS Affairs Committee first deputy chairman Alexander Kozlovsky, Alexander Chukhrayev and Gennady Kulik.
Many of the seats belonging to A Just Russia were empty as well. Nikolai Levichev assured Izvestia that all of his colleagues had important reasons for their absence.
Meanwhile, Mr Putin advised the opposition not to rock the boat at the State Duma's next convocation.
"The ruling party must keep a tight hold of the helm to prove to the people that the country is on the right path. There are a lot of uncertainties and risks still ahead of us. It's crucial that the entire crew works together as a team to keep the boat afloat during a storm," the prime minister said.
During the meeting, the deputies gave reports on their work over the past four years. State Duma Speaker Boris Gryzlov told Putin of United Russia's achievements. Igor Lebedev, the head of the Liberal Democratic Party, submitted his report in writing, while party leader, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, gave a short commentary on it. Leader of A Just Russia, Sergei Mironov, gave a mere three minute brief as his report, but only the Communist Party gave no public report at all on its parliamentary work.
The results are as follows: United Russia introduced 1,231 draft laws, A Just Russia 559, Liberal Democratic Party 369 and the Communist Party 263. The Duma approved 428 draft laws submitted by United Russia, 81 by A Just Russia, 80 by Liberal Democratic Party and 48 by the Сommunists.
The deputies from A Just Russia appear the hardest workers, submitting 15 draft laws per deputy. The Liberal Democratic Party submitted 9 draft laws per deputy, the Communists 4.5 and United Russia 4.
The first meeting of the State Duma of the sixth convocation will take place on December 23.
Alexander Matveyev, Izvestia
Yevgeny Yershov, Anastasia Novikova
