Yabloko assesses the work of the State Duma during the spring session 2001 as successful. However, all achievements in the work of the Duma "were reached due to the efforts of the Presidential Administration and the Government," stressed the First Deputy Head of the Yabloko faction in the State Duma Sergei Ivanenko at a press conference on Friday, July 13, 2001.

According to Ivanenko, "the Duma is only a 'belt drive' mechanism", as it has "completely lost its independence." "The Duma has become a department of the presidential administration," added Ivanenko.

Ivanenko also noted that implementation of the "controlled democracy scheme" is obvious here, when the top leadership of the country "controls relatively liberally and relatively democratically developments in society." Ivanenko also drew the attention of the journalists to a disturbing trend. According to Ivanenko, today there are "obvious signs that the judicial system has returned to the 'telephone rule' condition, which is confirmed by the de-registration of deputy of the Duma Viktor Cherepkov in the second round of the gubernatorial elections in Maritime Territory.

At the same time Ivanenko admitted that work on draft laws to launch the judicial reform in the Duma was continuing "quite successfully".

Based on Interfax reports.