Putin complains of State Duma's inaction during hostage crisis in Beslan

The speaker of the Russian parliament, Boris Gryzlov, is likely to be dismissed

The State Duma is to open its regular fall session on September 22. It is expected that the first meeting will be entirely devoted to the issues of struggle against terrorism and adequate amendments to the Russian law. The fall session of the Russian parliament is likely to bring political surprises. Rumors say that the speaker of the Duma, Boris Gryzlov, will probably step down in the near future on account of the parliament's actions during the tragic events in Beslan.

Gryzlov's resignation may become real, if the opposition in the face of the Rodina faction will manage to add the agenda with the question of impeachment to the government. Such a development will impede the discussion of amendments to the law regarding the anti-terrorist struggle, RBC reports.

Rodina's leader, Dmitry Rogozin, returned from Beslan and suggested that the Duma should be dissolved on account of the fact that the deputies had not interrupted their summer vacations in order to hold a special meeting at the parliament. “The refusal of the Duma's Council to interrupt the holidays in connection with the terrorist attack in Beslan brings up the question of prescheduled parliamentary elections,” Rogozin stated. The official added that he would insist on the decision.

”This is an example of a bad political intrigue,” Oleg Morozov, vice-speaker of the Duma told Interfax as a comment to Dmitry Rogozin's statement. “It is immoral to do politics on the national tragedy, which requires the consolidation of the society.  The situation will not stand the fuss at the moment – the society will perceive it as impotence,” Morozov said.

The Russian Currier wrote that the Kremlin was very dissatisfied with Boris Gryzlov because of the State Duma's inaction during the tragic events in North Ossetia and after them. Nobody at the parliament even touched upon the question of an urgent special meeting to be held in connection with a series of terrorist attacks. The parliament thus proved its high alienation from the problems of the Russian society. President Putin visited North Ossetia soon after the end of the crisis in Beslan, he addressed to the nation and urged everyone to unite in front of the danger.

It goes without saying that Kremlin officials have never overestimated the role of the State Duma as the true people's government, or the driving force between the authorities and the people. The president has expressed his negative opinion about the Duma's irrelevant attitude to the actual danger too, sources say.

Boris Gryzlov, the Duma speaker, is doing his best to ward off the danger. The State Duma will set up a parliamentary committee to investigate the reasons of the terrorist act in Beslan. Experts say that the current story is likely to become a test for the speaker's nervous system. Stanislav Belkovsky, a scientist of politics, believes that the “president's discontent” is not enough for Putin to make Gryzlov responsible for the state's failure in the Beslan tragedy. “Gryzlov is always showing that he is a staunch companion. The president does not punish people like that severely. Disloyalty and independency is considered a tragic mistake to make in the Kremlin, but the speaker is unable of acting so,” Belkovsky believes.