Political soviet of the opposition party “Rodina” sent an official inquiry to the commission of the Public chamber on communication, information policy and freedom of speech. In the inquiry there is a demand tom provide equal access to state mass media for all political parties (the RF President told about necessity of observance of this condition before the Federal Assembly). “ We ask to assess of the state of freedom in Russian mass media, in particular to consider the enforcement of President Vladimir Putin’s demand on equal access on television for all political parties”, party’s inquiry says. “Rodina” regards that “Edinaya Rossia” dominates at state television channels and newspapers.
Expert of the Center for Current Politics Ivan Fedyakin commented on “Rodina”’s initiative to provide equal access to mass media in his exclusive interview to KM.RU.
- What is your attitude to “Rodina”‘s initiative?
- In my opinion, such a problem really exists. At present we cannot regard that all political parties has opportunity to express their positions to population at equal degree. Any content analysis and mass media monitoring will show that “Edinaya Rossia” is mentioned in positive context much more than its competitors. But is it real to provide equality of information opportunities in contemporary Russian conditions. In particular, is it possible to create a really impartial body, which would control and monitor mentions of political parties in mass media? What are criteria for those mentions? It could be published a number of texts about a party of election block per day, but the most important thing is the context of mentions, positive or negative image would be created. If a state body starts control, we can forget about objective character of conclusions. It is useless to entrust the Public Chamber (to which representatives of opposition parties appeal) with this task, because it is a deliberative body, its decisions are not obligatory for execution. Though the very question about provision of equal access to mass media is just. But “Edinaya Rossia”, which has majority in the State Duma, will do everything to block such a decision. In general, it is rather difficult to establish such a kind of control over state mass media. We should go in other direction, to create conditions for appearance of a true public television reflecting interests of people and being independent from the state. Other direction is development of private mass media, which represent points of view alternative to the point of view of the authority. This could create an opportunity to raise and discuss different topics, even those unpleasant for the authority. We should not let the party of the authority can prohibit discussion of a number of “forbidden topics”. It is clear that “Edinaya Rossia” will not want to remain media space without control in the light of further parliamentary elections.
Yesterday appeared a sensational report as if Adygeya President Khazret Sevmen had announced his resignation, however, later press secretary of the president refuted this information. Moreover, it turned out that the deputies of the republic’s legislative body were preparing a proposition to Vladimir Putin to prolong Khazaret Sovmen’s presidential authority. Analysts say that this piece of disinformation was spread by Sovmen’s rivals that have almost a half of seats in the parliament of Adygeya.
Reportedly, during the first session of the republic’s State Council Khase Khzret Sovmen handed over a resignation letter to the parliament speaker Ruslan Khadzhibiyekov and left the assembly hall. For unknown reasons, the chairman refused to include discussions of this issue into the agenda and did not read out the letter, which allegedly explained the reasons behind the resignation. The power representatives of Adygeya made no haste to disclose the details of this. Even the press service of the republic’s State Council told the NI correspondent that they would not comment before official information comes out. “Here some say one thing, some another – why put on airs?” – explained the press service. Several hours after, President’s press secretary Abrek Chich announced there had been no resignation letter. According to the press secretary, this all was a big misunderstanding, which was caused by wrong interpretation of the President’s words by some deputies and mass media representatives that attended that parliament meeting. The announcement of the press service states: “Khazret Sovmen announced that he is ready for a constructive cooperation with the deputies for the sake of progressive social economic development of Adygeya Republic, on which he can rely considering the composition of the elected parliament. At the same time, if the legislative and executive powers do not work in cohesion there will be little sense to continue executing president authorities, which Khazret Sovmen had repeatedly stated before.” The press service informed that the deputies of State Council – Khase were preparing a proposition to Vladimir Putin to prolong Khazret Sovmen’s presidency for a new term.
Easy access to education has led to the situation when university graduates are not going to work, but to revolt.
The recent events in France not only confirmed the thesis on a serious crisis of the European Union, but also put the question on the reasons that led to such large-scale actions of the youth. When the Arabs revolted in the suburbs of Paris, this was connected with the problems of migration and the conflict of civilizations. Now the white youth revolts.
From the point of view of human rights activists, mischief-makers can be considered as fighters for their freedoms, who express their civil position. Though this thesis is disputable enough. Most likely, the youth just does not want to work. Nobody wants to listen to the arguments of the government that the new law will make easier for university graduates to find a job. The reason is that the youth with a new diploma in a pocket does not look for a job, but for social guaranties and demands them from the state.
The events in France are new evidence of the attack of the political person counting not on the search of ways to earn money, but on redistribution of resources in his/her favour through political instruments.
Chief of Gazprom Aleksei Miller suggested that the administration of the Byelorussian Beltransgaz, in the person of Dmitry Kozakov and Byelorussian Energy Minister Alexander Ageyev buy gas at the European-level prices starting from 2007, Gazprom’s press service reports. Earlier, it had been agreed that the Byelorussian side would introduce its propositions on cooperation in 2007 before April 30 this year. Such an early start of the talks on the affairs in 2007 is explained by Gazprom by the necessity to achieve an agreement on gas prices for the next year in advance.
The raise of the gas prices to Byelorussia was commented by the leading expert of the analytical office in the Center for Current Politics Galina Sapego in an exclusive interview to KM.RU.
- How is the decision of the Gazprom’s administration to revise gas prices for Byelorussia economically expedient and justified?
Sapego G.: It is important to set priorities in this important issue that is the Russia-Byelorussia relations. Generally, the stick and carrot policy should be applied across the post-Soviet area. Allies should be encouraged, whereas unfriendly regimes and competitors should be subjected to tough sanctions. From this point of view preservation of gas discounts for close allies and partners of Russia – Byelorussia and Armenia – would be a logical thing to do. The prices policy over Moldavia, Georgia, Ukraine and other pro-western states has to be the opposite.
Leader of non-existing National-Bolshevik Party Eduard Limonov again promises disorders. One of these days he claimed that he would do everything to prevent the authorities to hold quiet elections to the State Duma. Limonov is going to do it not for his own sake, but to help his new friend – Mikhail Kasianov. The latter, according to Limonov’s plan, has to become “the only candidate at the presidential elections from all oppositional forces”. And he, Limonov, promises to take care of it.
The former leader of the National-Bolshevik party liquidated at the beginning of the year claimed it this week in Moscow. The claim corresponded to the style of the leader, but at the same time it made a little furor.
The question is that after liquidation of NBP and Limonov’s vain attempts to register his organization as a party, his supporters discussed necessity of finding the way out of the crisis situation. In particular, a part of his true supporters recommended to stop playing the “war” and pass to civilized methods of fight, or simply, to legalize – to change their name, structure and statute. At the end of the last year there was a conflict between the supporters of this approach and the leader. As a result, a part of them left Limonov, and he took time-out for thinking over it. and
In January 2006 the Justice Ministry refused to register NBP for the fifth time, after which NBP press-secretary Alexander Averin officially said that NBP did not agree with the decision and would litigate it to obtain registration and participate at Duma’s elections. Experts regarded such a claim as Limonov’s agreement with supporters of legalization of the party and forecasts soon oblivion to NBP. However for these months Limonov neither confirmed experts’ guesses nor denied them.
The first public speech of the unsuccessful leader took place this week. “The only way for restoration of balance will be nomination of a single candidate at the presidential elections from all opposition forces – ex-premier Mikhail Kasianov. We, in return, will organize a political crisis in legal way”, announced Limonov at the press conference in Moscow. He seems to have thought carefully over his supporters’ offer and the danger to lose his image of a rebel-revolutionary. The latter seems to have won. Eduard Limonov promised to prevent the authorities from conducting the parliamentary elections quietly.
Experts reacted at such an announcement humorously. “Limonov’s support to Kasianov?” sarcastically said Director of the Center for Current Politics (CCPR) Konstantin Simonov. – Well, it’s funny! This is the same as support of respectable bourgeois by staunch revolutionary!”
By demonstrating preliminary results the Ukrainian authorities show the picture they need. This was stated by Panorama’s guest at the “Mayak” Director of the Center for Current Politics Konstantin Simonov. According to him, changes in the proportion will hardly take place, and the data will be adjusted to the declared results.
The present authority made everything for the “orange” parties got more votes, Simonov considers referring to the campaign on renaming surnames, when people came to their districts and did not find them in lists, and also okrugs’ redefining before the parliamentary elections.
“Rodina”’s leader is preparing for his resignation.
Tomorrow at the congress of “Rodina” its leader Dmitry Rogozin will announce his resignation. He admitted it to the “Gazeta”. In such a case main sponsor of the party, deputy of the State Duma Alexander Babakov will become the new leader.
The congress will be close for mass media. Moreover, being afraid of provocations, “Rodina”’s members will plant guards around the building of the congress. Nevertheless, on the eve of the congress “Gazeta” managed to clear out the main intrigue of the party event – its leader Dmitry Rogozin will announce his resignation at the congress. Rogozin is doing that under pressure of the Presidential Administration. “If I don’t leave my position, they will destroy it”, said Rogozin to “Gazeta”. – “There is no other way, and the results of this unfair play are predictable”.
Rogozin will stay a combat performer of the party and deal with other political projects, which are kept in secret now. “20% of the population participate in election, but there are 80%, and we will win for them! " Rogozin hints. He compares himself to a submarine that laid low under conditions of superior forces of the enemy. "We will break surface at the right time and place, - the leader says bravely. – In any case I won’t lose, that is a mug's game!”
The final remark of Rogozin does not correspond to the facts. He is a main allergen for the Kremlin. The very block of “Rodina” is one of Kremlin’s projects created for dispersing of left-patriotic electorate. Only the leader of the party has changed his image. Initially he calls himself as “special forces of the resident”, and in 2004 he even was proposed to head “Edinaya Rossia” “to give new impulse to this party without face”. Rogozin got a Party card of “Edinoross” with number 73160568. And Rogozin would have replaced Gryzlov at the position of the leader if Yuri Luzhkov and Mintimer Shaymiev had not delivered an ultimatum.
“Gazeta”’s source at the executive committee of the party assumes that after Rogozin’s resignation the Presidential Administration will not make obstacles to ‘Rodina” at regional and Duma’s elections. Allegedely there are such agreements. Moreover, the same source claimed that party’s members would be allowed to become governors in three-four regions. As a result, “Rodina” will increase its weight. “We will stay to be an oppositional party, member of Duma’s faction Mikhail Margelov told to “Gazeta”. – Rogozin will not be tied, he will not be obliged, so the party will show itself in the future”.
Main sponsor of the “Rodina” Alexander Babakov will be elected as a new chairman of the party at the close congress on the 25th of March. On the eve of the congress present leader Dmitry Rogozin lost all the means of influence on his members of the party and lost the status of a delegate of the congress.
Tomorrow at 10 a.m. about 180 delegates of “Rodina” will hold a close report and election congress in the hotel complex “Izmaylovo”. At the congress a new chairman of the party and a chairman of the presidium of “Rodina” will be elected. Several members of the presidium confirmed to the “Vedomosti” that Rogozin would make a 10-minute report, tell about refusal of his powers and propose Alexander Babakov for the position of chairman. “All the decisions will be consolidate, and after the congress Alexander Mikhaylovich (Babakov) and I will leave for the Ukrainian elections as observers,” promised Rogozin.
During the year “Rodina” faced troubles: court refused it to participate in the Moscow City Duma elections, in March 2006 “Rodina” could participate only in one from eight regional elections – in the Republic of Altai. The Kremlin officials recognized that they would do everything to make Rogozin leave the party.
State Duma has started working on amendments to the acting laws. The new bill has been figuratively named ‘Dacha Amnesty’. The lower house has passed the bill in the first reading, whose full title is: “On changes to certain legislative acts of the Russian Federation concerning specification of conditions and order of privatization, cadastral registry of land districts provided as personal household for farming, gardening, and individual house construction, registration of citizens rights for these land districts and immobile objects located on these districts.”
According to Duma Speaker Boris Gryzlov, this bill simplifies privatization of land for personal utilization. The Speaker expressed hope that citizens are expecting this bill to become law impatiently.
According to Chief of the Duma’s Committee on Civil, Criminal, Arbitrage and Procedural Legislation Pavel Krasheninnikov, the main idea of the new bill is the ‘authenticity presumption’ of citizen’s documents on immobile property and simplification of property registration. Today, for an edifice to be legal, one needs to collect a file of documents: construction permission, coordination of the project with architecture bodies, and state registration. It is impossible to sell or inherit a house without them. According to the new bill acknowledges the rights (and the documents that confirm them) that had been granted under previously acting standard acts.
Introducing the document in the parliament, Secretary of State, Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade Andrei Sharonov said that the project sets a two-week period for consideration of a privatization claim. The procedure of registering rights on individual homes built by citizens on their own land without permission (the so-called samostroi) is simplified. According to Sharonov, the number of such homes totals around 20-30% of all private buildings. The law, if passed, will grant the right to render permissions to exploit such houses to local self-government bodies
Our correspondent asked some Russian political scientists to comment on the bill. Thus, expert of the Analytical department of the Center for Current Politics in Russia Ivan Fedyakin said:
Russian political scientists have hailed to election of Gerhard Schroeder as chairman of stockholders commission of North East Gas Pipeline operator.
“For the first time in Russian history such prominent political figure from a different country becomes not just a friend of our country but a head to a Russian company and will work to push for such an important for Russia project – said Director General of the Center for Current Politics in Russia Konstantin Simonov to RIA Novosti.
He reminded that earlier, many former Russian ministers worked in western companies.
“However, it is a great precedent that a former leader of a western state is employed by a joint venture. It turns out that we are able to attract top politicians to achieve our own goals” – Simonov said.
