9 июня 2007 Года
June 9, 2007. SENATORS TO FACE RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT
 The State Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament, has approved a bill establishing a residency requirement for Senators.
The bill foresees members of Russia’s upper house of parliament, the Federation Council, being required to live at least ten years in the regions that they represent.
Alexander Khinshtein, a deputy of the State Duma from the United Russia party and vocal supporter of the new bill, stated that the Federation Council has become a haven for “oligarchs” posing as Senators. He described “oligarchs” as those who have made Forbes magazine’s billionaires list and who act as de-facto lobbyists for business circles within the upper house.
The speaker of the Federation Council, Sergei Mironov, didn’t agree with Khinshtein’s position, suggesting that he request the General Prosecutor’s office to launch an investigation if he has proof of any specific wrongdoing on the part of Senators. Mironov admitted that several Senators are former businessmen, but added that, in accordance with the law, they suspend their business activities for the duration of their terms in the Federation Council.
The bill was passed in the first reading by the State Duma with 352 deputies voting in favor, and 52 against. Alexander Moskalets, the deputy chairman of the State Duma’s legal committee, suggested that the wording of the bill needs to be improved in regards to what constitutes a Senator’s residency within a region.
The bill must be passed in the second and third readings by the State Duma, approved by the Federation Council and signed by the President before it becomes law.
Translated by Artem V. Zagorodnov
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