Deputy of the State Duma Nikolai Ryzhkov (the CPRF faction) accused theYabloko faction of organising an “unruly campaign” against deputies voting for the export ofnuclear waste into Russia.

At a meeting of the State Duma on Thursday May 24, 2001, the former prime minister said that the members of Yabloko in his electoral district (Belgorod region) had virtually persecuted people who “had conscientiously taken such adecision and supported the draft laws on the import of nuclear waste into Russia”. Ryzhkov calledon the Yabloko faction to “stop this campaign”.

He also warned that if Yabloko refused to stop, “we will adopt the same measures.We have sufficient grounds to do so.”

In response a member of the Yabloko faction Sergei Mitrokhin said that, in supporting the law on the import of nuclear waste to Russia Nikolai Ryzhkov and other deputies “were going against the will of 90% of the electorate and had virtually opened the door to the creation of “200 Hiroshimas” in the Russian Federation”.

The Duma Ethics Commission of Ethics will investigate the conflict between Ryzhkov and the Yabloko faction.

Based on Interfax reports.

See also:

Nuclear waste bill section of the web-site