Communists left without leading posts in the Duma

Yesterday, the State Duma passed a resolution about redistribution of leading posts in the Duma’s committees. 251 deputies (of the requisite 226) voted for it, while 136 voted against it, and 7 deputies abstained from voting. In this way, left-wing forces in the State Duma (communists and agrarians) loose chairs of 8 committees and of one commission of the House. According to some reports, following chairmen of the committees were displaced from their posts with this resolution: Anatoly Lukyanov (Committee on State Building), Yury Maslyukov (Committee on Industry, Building and Science Intensive Technologies), Valery Saikin (Commitee on Labour and Social Policy), Sergei Glazyev (Committee on Economical Policy and Enterprise), Leonid Ivanchenko (Committee on Federation and Regional Policy), Ivan Melnikov (Committee on Education and Science). All of them are deputies of CPRF faction. Moreover, Vladimir Platonov (chairman of Committee on Agriculture) who is member of Agroidustrial Deputy Group was displaced from his post. While representatives of centrist coalition in the Duma were appointed new chairmen of that committees (deputies of Fatherland – All Russia, of Regions of Russia faction) and members of Apple party and Union of Right-Wing Forces. Unity faction and deputy group People’s Deputy belonging to centrist coalition kept the same number of leading posts in the committees. In these conditions, chairman of Committee on Culture and Tourism, Nikolai Gubenko (CPRF faction) personally asked to relieve him of his post. Communists also refused to lead Committee on Public Unions and Religious Organizations. Agrarians, in their turn, refused from chairmanship of Committee on Nationalities. Therefore, resentful communists and agrarians have any leading posts in the Duma’s committees. Thus, “packet agreement” concluded by leaders of the Duma’s unions January 2000, was revised. Though the loss of left-wing forces’ influence in the Duma had been predictable. The Communist Party’s leader, Gennady Zyuganov is resolute: left-wing factions in the Duma turn to “strict opposing” the authorities. The left-wing forces intend to more actively carry out their “extraparliamentary work”: to carry out mass street actions and picketing. Zyuganov even advised to still acting speaker of the Duma, Gennady Seleznev to take a “necessary decision.” For, Seleznev should not lead the Duma which “carries out right-wing, ruining policy.” According to Zyuganov, communists and agrarians “do not care of the leading chairs” and they are “ready to refuse from that leading posts “generously” left to us by “the Kremlin’s six.” Though, when the “packet agreement” was being concluded last January, it could be seen if they “did not care of the leading chairs”. It should be reminded, that at that time, communists united with Unite faction and quietly shared with them all key committees and commissions of the Duma, while other units were left without leading posts. Now, times have changed. In particular, the recently formed centrist coalition could not help raising the question of the “packet agreement” revision. So, communists and agrarians should blame themselves for this situation. Never treat with others in the way you do not want they treat with you.

Sergei Yugov PRAVDA.Ru

Translated by Vera Solovieva

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2002/04/03/39220.html