Press Release, 10.11.2021

Photo from the official web-site of the Moscow Mayor

Deputies of the Yabloko faction of the Moscow City Duma called on their colleagues in the Moscow parliament – deputies of the Communist Party and A Just Russia factions, to join their demands to return the Moscow City Duma regulations, according to which each deputy can ask questions and speak on the agenda of the Moscow City Duma meetings without restrictions.

Changes to the regulations of the Moscow City Duma were made at the meeting of the Moscow parliament on 3 November, immediately before the consideration of the key normative act of the city – the budget of Moscow.

According to these amendments, the leaders of the factions get the preferential right to ask questions and speak, while other deputies can speak on a leftover basis, and the time for consideration of agenda items is significantly reduced.

Deputies of the Yabloko faction voted unanimously against the introduction of these amendments to the regulations of the Moscow City Duma.

The Yabloko faction in the Moscow City Duma strongly protests against such amendments. The faction’s statement was adopted on 10 November.

“By depriving the deputies of the opportunity to speak and pose questions to officials, the ruling party has, in fact, completely eliminated the main function of parliament, mixing up the highest representative body of Moscow with one of the departments of the Mayor’s Office,” the statement of the Yabloko faction runs.

Each deputy represents hundreds of thousands of Muscovites and has the right to speak on their behalf. The elimination of any discussions in an administrative manner, as happened at the previous meeting of the Moscow City Duma, jeopardises the very idea of ​​political representation and the very reason for existence of the city parliament.