Russian senators approved reform
The senators in Russia’s Federation Council this week unanimously approved the reform, which entitles only members of regional parliaments to get seats in the council. A group of senators still expressed concern that the reform might leave the upper house of parliament completely dominated by the United Russia Party.
The reform will significantly strengthen the role of the regional parliaments in the Federation Council. According to the reform, which was presented by President Medvedev in his State of the Nation address last November, the senators will from now on be chosen only among the regional parliament deputies. The reform, which will come into force in 2011, will also extend the terms of the senators from four to five years. The reform will make the process of appointing senators – the regions’ representatives to the Federation Council – more democratic. Still, in the parliament hearings on the reform, the A Just Russia Party expressed concern that the new procedures might make the Federation Council even more dominated by the United Russia Party. The reform could threaten the Russian multi-party system, the A Just Russia party representatives said, newspaper Kommersant reports. However, analysts argue that the parliament already is completely dominated by the government-loyal United Russia Party. Political scientist Yury Korgunyuk says to Kommersant that “the Federation Council already is a chamber of the United Russia and that the few A Just Russia deputies are only exemptions”.
