Debates in the Duma. Seleznev tries on prefix “ex”

On Tuesday, the Council of the State Duma considers the proposition of six deputy associations of the House to review the package agreement about distribution of leading posts in the House. This was reported to journalists by Gennady Raikov, the leader of People’s Deputy group, after the Monday working sitting of six deputy associations: Unity faction, Fatherland-All Russia faction, Union of Right Wing Forces, Apple faction, People’s Deputy and Regions of Russia deputy groups. According to preliminary results of the sitting, Raikov reported, the Communist Party faction controlling now 10 Duma committees could be deprived of a half of them. State Duma Regulations Committee must also pass a draft resolution about displacement of State Duma speaker Gennady Seleznev from his post. Three variants of the resolution are presented for discussion. The first variant is to initiate draft resolution of the Duma about vote of no-confidence to the speaker. The second one is preparing of the resolution of two points: about vote of no-confidence to the speaker and about his displacement. The third variant is draft resolution about Seleznev’s displacement even without explaining the reasons. Within two weeks, the idea about Gennady Seleznev’s resignation had its falls and rises. It should be reminded, that the Agrarians’ leader Nikolai Kharitonov initiated the question about no-confidence to Seleznev, afterwards the Duma charged the Regulations Committee with draft resolution about the speaker’s displacement. Though, the campaign which had such a stormy start, suddenly skidded: Kharitonov said that he had been understood wrongly, while the centrists also denied their implication in the “mutiny” and at the end of the week a piece of information appeared that the Regulations Committee intended to decide not Seleanev’s fate, but that one of Nikolai Troshkin, Duma Staff’s leader. While Gennagy Seleznev, in his interview to Kommersant newspaper, called recent events “political order.” At the same time, Seleznev refused to call the master-mind, while declaring: “I say it later. Now, I will try to analize the situation. This is really an order. And this is the order of some third force. I will soon make a statement on this subject.” As for the bargain Seleznev-Troshkin (the speaker remains on his post, while approving of the Duma Staff leader’s replacement), Seleznev flatly denied any bargaining on this subject: “This is impossible! At first, a serious political concession was made. At first, Unity faction took a finger, and now they want the whole hand. I do not intend to bargain with them on this subject.” Overstated self-appraisal hinders the speaker from sensible estimation of the situation. While the situation is so: revision of the package agreement and replacement of the Duma Staff leader will without doubt strengthen the centrists’ positions in the Duma, which is profitable for the President Administration. While Seleznev seems to be a spent stuff, which could be get rid of. All the more that the Kremlin still has a grudge against him because of Russia bloc. According to the Kremlin’s intention, Seleznev must have won over moderate communists from KPRF to Russia bloc, while this did not happen. Dmitry Chirkin PRAVDA.Ru

Translated by Vera Solovieva

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2002/04/01/39099.html