Russian President Vladimir Putin has presented a bill on the new order of forming the Federation Council to the parliament. He noted that reformation needs to be intensified and urged improvement of lawmaking efficiency to make it more clear. Basic bills need public discussions with the involvement of the public and business organizations, key professional and social groups, regions and municipalities, Putin said.
The Federation Council reduced the number of committees and commissions from 27 to 10 in November 2011. It considered some 100 bills in spring 2012.
According to the new bill, candidates for governor need to name three representatives to the Federation Council, the upper chamber. The representatives must be part of regional parliaments. Senators may not remain party members. End of terms of office of senators will be the same as of MPs.
Putin says that the Federation Council must be composed according to the voters' will.
Governors will have personal responsibility for their representatives. The age limit for entering the Federation Council will be reduced from 30 to 21. One of the youngest senators, Ruslan Gattarov, was against the preliminary age limit of 35.
The president said that he had signed the bill on setting the Day of Russian Parliamentary Government on April 27, RIA Novosti reports.
The first Russian parliament was organized in 1906.
