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In contrast to the economic legislation passed
in the State Duma's spring session, the political and social legislation
gave deputies less reason to crow as they headed out for the summer
Monday.
The most notable bills, all controversial, were those to fight
political extremism, allow a limited alternative service to the
military draft and make it more difficult to become a Russian
citizen.
Praise for the spring's accomplishments was pointedly mute,
even from Kremlin-connected political analyst Sergei Markov. "A
number of economic projects allowed us to take steps forward,"
he said. "But on the other hand, there was a consolidation
of bureaucratic tendencies."
The initiative for only about half of the nearly 100 bills passed
came from the Duma itself; the other bills were put forward by
the government and the Kremlin, whose domination of the legislative
branch has strengthened this year.
"If the president initiates a project himself or if he
backs the government, the legislation is sure to pass the Duma,"
said Vladimir Pribylovsky of the Panorama think tank. "Deputies
only speak up if they see the authorities unconsolidated on certain
positions."
Led by the pro-Kremlin United Russia Party, the Duma's centrists
-- who hold roughly 240 seats in the 450-seat house -- largely
controlled the proceedings.
They further formalized their control by depriving the Communist
Party -- which holds the most seats in the Duma -- of eight of
its 10 committee chairmanships. The Communists gave up the last
two in protest.
United Russia leaders were predictably happy with the spring
session in general. "It was the first time in which three
centrist groups worked together to represent one party,"
said Vyacheslav Reznik -- a member of United Russia's general
council, which coordinates the activities of the Unity, Fatherland-All
Russia and People's Deputy Duma factions. "Our close cooperation
with the government allows us to follow the president's course."
Deputies passed the bill on alternative service in the final
reading only on Friday. Although it will finally bring the law
in line with the 1993 Constitution, which guaranteed the right
to alternative service, liberal lawmakers say the government-backed
bill is too severe. If a man of conscript age succeeds in convincing
a special committee that he is a pacifist, he must perform 3 1/2
years of alternative service, or 21 months if he has higher education.
The maximum compulsory military service is two years.
Grigory Yavlinsky, leader of the social-democratic Yabloko party,
called it "alternative slavery" at a news conference
Thursday.
Markov said the bill will allow the military to say it provides
alternative service, while in reality changing very little. "It's
good for the military bureaucracy," he said.
Pribylovsky said conservative groups talked President Vladimir
Putin into going along with a tougher version of the legislation.
"Putin likes to be seen as a Gorbachev in the West, but he
also likes his high ratings at home and thus has to show some
support for the generals," the analyst said.
On Thursday, the deputies gave final approval to the bill on
combating political extremism. The legislation was pushed through
by the centrists over the objections of liberals and Communists,
who say its vague provisions could lead to a clampdown on any
group targeted by the authorities.
In April, the Duma passed a presidential bill establishing new
procedures for seeking Russian citizenship. Applicants for citizenship
must prove they have lived in Russia for five years and pass a
language exam.
Opponents said the law would not only make an already bureaucratized
process more difficult, but also disenfranchise millions of former
Soviet citizens.
Yavlinsky harshly criticized the citizenship and alternative
service bills. "They're tied to what's happening in the whole
country," he said. "A series of decisions are being
made that are exclusively counterproductive for the country's
future."
In a meeting Monday with leaders of the Duma factions, Putin
focused his praise on the economic legislation, although he listed
the bills on extremism and citizenship among the most important
of the session.
Whether or not they approved of the Duma's work, deputies on
the whole saw an entrenchment of parliament's new role under Putin's
administration.
Sergei Yushenkov, co-leader of the Liberal Russia party, said
he was far from satisfied by the spring session. "Too much
time was spent talking," he said. "But in no sphere
was a single real reform carried out."
Yushenkov particularly criticized the Duma's rejection of a
Liberal Russia initiative to reduce the influence of the state
in business. "Meanwhile, the building of a police state goes
on," he said. "The Duma is an affiliate of the government.
It's a far cry from the liberalism the president likes to talk
about."
While praising Putin's foreign policy, Yavlinsky came down on
the Duma for failing to discuss foreign policy issues. "The
Duma has become helpless," he said. "It's bereft of
strategies."
Fellow Yabloko member Sergei Ivanov agreed. "The Duma has
turned into a voting machine," he said. "It cannot make
decisions by itself."
Irina Khakamada, co-leader of the Union of Right Forces, which
has shown strong support for Putin, said the spring session's
results were "not too bad." She praised legal and economic
reforms but criticized the alternative service bill.
Khakamada also criticized the government's practice of introducing
major bills late in the session, saying the rush to review the
legislation caused mistakes. "The first bills to be considered
are usually the Duma's, and they fall apart," she said. "Most
laws that pass are the ones the president wants."
Reznik also said the government drags its feet. "It's always
late presenting economic projects," he said. "It's also
strangely passive about reforming the civil service."
See also:
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