Press Release, 30.10.2020

Ryazan branch of Yabloko demands from the Ryazan Regional Duma to abandon the increase of salaries to deputies’ aids. Yabloko proposes to allot the funds planned for the increase of personnel salaries in the regional parliament to social expenses of the region.

Deputies from the pro-government’s parties United Russia and A Just Russia introduced a bill to the Ryazan Regional Duma to increase the salaries of deputies’ aids by more than twice. It is planned to allocate for this purpose additional 20 million roubles per year from the regional budget.

“Such an increase looks especially cynical against the background of the state’s lack of funds for the most acute social needs of citizens and in the context of falling living standards caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The fact that the deputies actually initiated new spending on themselves immediately after the formation of the new convocation of the Duma speaks of their consumerist and dismissive attitude towards voters,” Konstantin Smirnov, Сhairman of the regional branch of the party, said.

Activists of the Ryazan branch of Yabloko note that the explanatory note to the bill does not contain any explanation for the additional costs, which is not surprising – there simply cannot be such an explanation. The overwhelming majority of full-time deputies’ assistants do not do any work; often these places are occupied by some people only to write off money on their alleged “wages”.