Deputy Duma Speaker comments on upcoming parliamentary session

Deputy Speaker of the State Duma Lyubov Sliska believes that the upcomingsession of the lower house of parliament will be "one of the mostinteresting" for this Duma make-up. She explained in an interview todaythat this fall Duma deputies would have to pass the 2003 budget, whichwould determine their political rating in the following Duma elections.Sliska stressed that she would prefer that the budget was passed quietly,without political ambition demonstrated by deputies. She said it would begood it parliamentarians managed to pass the 2003 budget before December 1,2002.The Deputy Speaker reported the preliminary plans of the Duma work thisfall included 472 bills. She approved the fact that about a half ofpriority bills were introduced by the Cabinet. According to Sliska, thistestifies that the criticism of Duma deputies had an affect on thegovernment. She specified that, out of 127 priority bills, 62 wereintroduced by the government, 16 by the Russian President and only onebill was proposed by regional officials..