Nikolai Rybakov’s FB page, 22.10.2020

A couple of years ago, it seemed that Russia simply did not have a more helpless, incompetent and antipopular parliament than the State Duma of the past, the sixth convocation, which was justly nicknamed “the mad printer” [for the speed of stamping laws]. But looks like the current parliamentary corps will compete with it for a place in history: these ladies and gentlemen have had the honor to synchronise the Russian legislation with Putin’s version of the Constitution and with the “1 July” political reality in general [which emerged on the day of “voting” for Putin’s Constitutional amendments on 1 July] .

Today, on 22 October, the State Duma boldly approved, in the first and second readings, the most important laws and amendments that President Putin sends to the Duma at once in batches, in bulk. In particular: the law “On the Government of the Russian Federation”, amendments to the laws “On the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation”, “On the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Russian Federation”, “On Security”, “On the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation”, “On the Federal Security Service”, “On the Freign Intelligence Service”…

It is important for the country that not only the cumulative meaning of all these innovations boils down to strengthening the personal power of Vladimir Putin, but also the fact that the most important legal acts, which change the entire configuration of government bodies and the balance of their powers, are adopted by the so-called “people’s deputies” in a couple of weeks, simply by command from the Presidential Administration without any public discussion, without any expertise, by pressing of the buttons with one accord. I am sure that the overwhelming majority of the deputies did not even look through these multi-page documents.

And if someone from the parliamentary factions tried to pretend to be the opposition, he did it so timidly that no one noticed. The Communist Party of the Russian Federation, as it is now established, simply did not vote, in accordance with the principle of “being on both sides of the fence”. The LDPR faction did not even try to play any roles, and simply approved everything.

By the way, the list of presidential legislative initiatives mentioned above is not all of them yet! Today, on the sly, other innovations were introduced for “consideration”. For example, a bill that eliminates the requirements for environmental impact assessment in relation to social and transport infrastructure in the Arctic. The bill is being pushed under the pretext that this will speed up construction in the Arctic zone. Are we waiting for new accidents and disasters?

In other words, this State Duma, which is not capable of uttering a word against the President and the security forces, must be driven away in the 2021 elections. If this does not happen, the country will not have too many scenarios for a civilised and peaceful transfer of power.

Source: Facebook

NIKOLAI RYBAKOV

is Chairman of the Yabloko party, member of the Federal Political Committee of the party, member of the Yabloko Bureau. Head of the Yabloko Electoral Head-Quarters