The Russian Parliament has opened the first session of the sixth calling in Moscow today. They will work for 5 instead of 4 days a week for the first time. The lower chamber will discuss priority bills and prepare a plenary session for January 13. The session will determine candidates for positions of deputies and assistants of committees. Committee heads were appointed on December 21.
Sergey Naryshkin, Chairman of Parliament, has not ruled out that presidential bills for liberalization of the political system may be considered on March 4, or even in February, RIA Novosti reports.
The speaker reminded that one of the bills concerns the simplified formation of political parties, the second concerns the reduction of signatures needed to propose candidates.
The parliament plans to consider the bill on joining the Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business.
The parliament plans to invite Vladimir Churov, head of the CEC, and Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev to report on the parliamentary polls of December 4th 2011 for a plenary session on January 27. Naryshkin clarified that all four factions will sign the invitation note.
The latest parliamentary polls in Russia provoked many complaints from the opposition. Complaints concerned the order of the elections and the work of local electoral commissions.
Sergey Naryshkin said that he will appoint Jakhan Pollyeva, the president’s assistant, as head of the lower chamber on January 13.
