Press Release, 20.02.2020

On 20 February, the Duma of the Astrakhan Region considered constitutional amendments developed by the Public Constitutional Council and introduced by Yabloko’s deputy Dmitry Anufriev.

The amendments were combined into four separate laws for each thematic block: the President, the Federal Assembly, the Government and the judicial system. From eight to 12 deputies voted for each of the laws, and from five to eight parliamentarians out of 58 abstained, despite the fact that Yabloko was represented in the regional parliament by only one deputy.

Despite the fact that the majority voted against, and none of the bills was adopted, Dmitry Anufriev thanked his colleagues for the courage that, according to him, the deputies even needed to abstain.

It should be noted that the amendments by the Public Constitutional Council suggest, in particular, reducing the presidential term to four years, limiting the powers of the head of the state to the list provided for by the Constitution, introducing the election of members of the Federation Council, empowering the Federation Council to propose the candidacy of Public Prosecutor General, and the Duma should get the right to propose the candidacy of Prime Minister, allowing deputies to pass a vote of no confidence the government and individual ministers, expand the composition of the Constitutional Court, return the Supreme Arbitration Court, introduce the election of the chairpersons of courts by the judges, expand the right to jury trials and introduce the election of justices of the peace.

Draft laws on constitutional amendments representing an alternative to Vladimir Putin’s amendments to the Russian Constitution were simultaneously submitted by deputies from Yabloko in five legislative assemblies of the Russian Federation: St. Petersburg, Moscow, the Republic of Karelia, the Pskov and Astrakhan regions.