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Vladimir Lukin
thinks that Sergei Yastrzhembskiy was referring in his declaration
to a suitable response
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One of the Yabloko leaders, Deputy Speaker of the State
Duma, Vladimir Lukin thinks that the Presidential aide Sergei
Yastrzhembskiy was referring in his declaration to the possibility
of preventive strikes against terrorist bases in Afghanistan
when he mentioned “adequate measures”.
On May 23, commenting to journalists on the declaration
of Yastrzhembskiy, Lukin stressed that these adequate measures
would only be taken in the event of an attack by Afghan
talibs on the territory representing the area of the joint
defence. In other words Vladimir Lukin explained that the
territory of joint defence referred to Russia, Tadjikistan,
Uzbekistan and a number of other states. He also noted that
“this is in line with the UN rules of collective security”.
The issues of military viability, which should be decided
in each case separately, proceeding from a definite situation,
are quite another issue, noted Lukin. Speaking about another
statement of Sergei Yastrzhembskiy about the information
on talks between the Chairman of PACE Lord Russell-Johnstone
and the President of Chechnya Aslan Maskhadov, Lukin noted
that any Russian citizen can discuss any issues with a PACE
representative. “I am interested in the content of these
talks,” said Lukin. We proceed from the premise that Chechnya
is part of Russia. So we need to clarify whether these talks
between Aslan Maskhadov and Russell-Johnstone exceeded the
frameworks of this principle, and only then provide our
assessment”, added Lukin.
Based on Interfax reports.
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The
Coordination Council of the SPS and the Yabloko factions
decided to support at their first reading the legislative
initiatives of the President and also reached agreement
on over 20 draft Laws which will be jointly proposed by
the two factions
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 The
SPS and the Yabloko factions of the State Duma will support
at its first reading the package of draft laws submitted
to the Duma by the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir
Putin.
This statement was made by the Deputy Chairmen of the two
factions, Sergei Ivanenko (Yabloko) and Viktor Pokhmelkin
(SPS). They also reached agreement on over 20 draft Laws
which will be jointly proposed by the two factions at their
briefing on May 23. The deputies also informed journalists
that the two factions had reached agreement over 20 draft
laws in all major areas, adding that a single line would
be developed here by the two factions.
At the first meeting of the Coordination Council of the
two factions, held on May 23 and in the discussion of the
President’s initiatives, the members of the two factions
worked out a joint position envisaging support for Putin’s
draft laws, which are targeted at streamlining the federal
structure of the Russian Federation and at the interaction
of the federal and regional authorities.
At the same time, Sergei Ivanenko stressed that the factions
have made amendments to the presidential drafts, including
"significant ones", which will primarily refer to the provisions
on removing the governors and heads of local administrations
from their posts. Ivanenko also stressed that the position
of the Yabloko faction with regards the draft law on a new
order of formation of the Federation Council may be reduced
to the following: "direct elections are necessary" in the
formation of the Federation Council. "We will submit an
alternative draft to the Duma," said Ivanenko.
According to Ivanenko, this draft will be examined by the
Duma on May 31 together with the presidential draft. He
also said that the Duma may vote on these drafts: here the
draft supported by the majority will become the fundamental
document. If the draft proposed by President Putin wins
the majority of votes, Yabloko will support it, said Ivanenko,
as in any case it envisages "a better system than the present
one". Ivanenko also stressed that in view of a potential
situation where the Duma will have to overcome a veto of
the Federation Council, the draft laws will have to be supported
by at least 300 deputies.
Therefore both the President and the State Duma "will
have to follow the path of compromise". Pokhmelkin expressed
his personal opinion that the Federation Council should
be elected and not appointed. He thinks that Yabloko’s draft
(the author is Elena Mizulina) is preferable. "But we have
to be realistic," said Pokhmelkin. He said that the Duma
is more likely to support the presidential draft. Pokhmelkin
also noted that the Co-ordination Council managed to reach
principal agreements on all these issues, including the
problem of creating working groups that will work out a
co-ordinated, joint position of the two factions on all
the important drafts that will be submitted to the Duma.
Based on Interfax reports.
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