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MOSCOW - Russia's lower house of parliament voted Wednesday
to reshuffle the leaders of its legislative committees in a bid
to give more power to centrist factions - at the expense of the
Communist Party.
The State Duma's decision, approved by a vote of 251-136 with
seven abstentions, removed Communist Party members from their
leadership posts in seven committees. That left the once-powerful
party holding the leadership of only two minor committees.
The Communist Party immediately resigned the chairmanship of
those two committees - Culture and Tourism and Public and Religious
Organizations - in protest.
"The State Duma has turned into a seal stamping the decisions
of the president and government," Communist Party leader
Gennady Zyuganov said.
The biggest winner in Wednesday's reshuffle was the Fatherland-All
Russia party, which gained three leadership posts, bringing its
total to five. The centrist party has joined forces with leading
pro-Kremlin parties and given its firm backing to Russian President
Vladimir Putin.
Other winners were the liberal Union of Right Forces, which
gained two leadership positions for a total of three, and the
liberal Yabloko party, which gained its first leadership post.
In total, the State Duma has 28 committees, headed by leaders
from nine parties.
The previous alignment of leadership posts had been agreed two
years ago when the Communists held more sway, forcing the smaller,
centrist parties to cut deals with them. The Communists have not
lost any seats in the intervening years, but the Kremlin's domination
of political life in Putin's first term has reduced their influence.
The Communist Party tried to stop the reshuffle, but failed
to muster enough support.
"Left forces have been deprived of the last opportunity
to influence state policy," Zyuganov said after the vote.
The decision to reshuffle the leadership posts also renewed
pressure on Duma Speaker Gennady Seleznyov, a Communist, to leave
his post. Last week, pro-Kremlin parties launched an effort to
oust him. Now he is under enormous pressure from his own party
to step down.
"We believe that the left wing leader has no right to chair
a Duma that is pursuing a rightist, destructive policy,"
Zyuganov said.
Putin stayed out of the debate, telling Russian news agencies
Wednesday that he considered it a matter for the Duma.
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