Press Release, 24.12.2020

Photo: Maxim Kruglov

Yesterday, on December 23, the Moscow City Duma considered the bill on parliamentary investigations submitted by Maxim Kruglov, the leader of the Yabloko faction.

According to the document, any facts of violation of the city laws, the rights of Moscow residents, non-fulfillment of the budget, manipulation with city property, non-compliance with construction rules can become the subject of investigation.

Based on the results of each investigation, the commission can express no confidence in individual officials, propose to release them from office or impose a penalty on them.

“The proposed control powers cannot be superfluous,” Maxim Kruglov says. “The more opportunities Muscovites and their deputies have to influence arbitrariness on the part of executive authorities, the higher is the chance that those guilty of violating the law may be brought to justice.”

However, the parliamentary majority, consisting of deputies from the progovermental United Russia faction and the My Moscow association, did not want to expand their own powers. They did not dare to vote openly against (although there were such deputies), so they simply did not participate in the voting.

Although 14 deputies voted in favour of the bill, with five votes against and four abstentions, the bill was not adopted.

Different points of view were expressed in the discussion that preceded the vote. Supporters of the parliamentary investigations bill said this tool would raise the importance and influence of the city parliament, help draw attention to city issues and keep them from being hushed up. In addition, parliamentary commissions on investigation will provide a convenient platform for a thorough analysis of complex situations.

Opponents of the bill considered parliamentary investigations to be interference in the affairs of the executive branch. United Russia deputy Lyudmila Stebenkova even stated that such a law, if passed, would stimulate an investigation into the poisoning of Alexei Navalny, which she apparently did not want.