Deputy Group to arrange act of protest against high electricity tariffs in Russia

The People's party of Russia is planning to arrange an act of protestagainst unreasonable increases in electricity tariffs on September 5-6, theleader of the Narodny Deputat (People's Deputy) party and deputy groupGennady Raykov declared in an interview with RosBusinessConsulting today.According to him, the party suggests that people turn off the lights intheir apartments at 10:00 p.m. on September 5. On September 6, this act of protest is supposed to be held in 82 regions ofthe country. Numerous meetings will be held on this day, during which theparty will be collecting signatures in the support of amendments to laws onthe restructuring of RAO UES submitted by Narodny Deputat to the StateDuma. A similar meeting will be arranged in Moscow at 12:00 p.m. onSeptember 5. The organizers of this event have already put in an order forholding this meeting and expect at least 3,000 people to attend it. The reason for arranging this action is because, "tariffs are growing allthe time, energy consumers get cut off. Energy producers are trying tosolve all their problems at the expense of consumers," the official said.In the opinion of the party, "energy monopolists are trying to dictatetheir terms to the people and industries," Raykov stressed. His position isthat "tariffs should be controlled by the people, they should be publishedwith explanations, why they are so. In addition, it should become clear -where, for what and why this amount of money is going." "If the peoplesupport this position, this will become the position of not only Raykov andNarodny Deputat, but all the people, and it will have to be taken intoconsideration.".