Speaker of the State Duma of the Russian Federation Vyacheslav Volodin warned deputies today that he would leave the meeting along with faction leaders in order to take part in the first meeting of the renewed State Council, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“The work of the State Council in accordance with the presidential decree, which forms the State Council in accordance with federal law, will be attended by the leaders of all political factions and the chairman of the State Duma. As far as I know, the leaders of the factions are preparing for speeches,” Volodin said.
The leader of the LDPR, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, also decided to comment on the event.
“It is good that faction leaders are included in the State Council. But there are faction leaders who did not vote for the law on the State Council. It turns out that they are riding into heaven on someone else’s hump. The status needs to be changed. Those who did not vote for the amendments to the Constitution and campaigned against should be given the title of “junior member of the State Council.” And whoever voted for is just a member,” said Zhirinovsky, hinting at the Communist Party of the Russian Federation.
Communist deputies immediately responded to the criticism.
“These factions were just proposing that you be assigned there by law. We carefully worked on the law and made 12 amendments. But you didn’t work, you just voted,” said Nikolai Kolomeytsev.
“I have known Vladimir Volfovich for a long time and I want to remind him: dear friend, remember, a bird with one wing does not fly - it will fall,” said Nikolai Kharitonov.
The speaker decided to reason with the heated deputies.
“Our political system is strong because there is competition and a multi-party system. Today you have someone to oppose, but for more than 70 years there was no one to oppose. It ended with the collapse of the country. So appreciate it. It’s good that we don’t have two parties, like in the USA, that fool the whole world. We have a multi-party system, and not just on paper,” Volodin said.
He emphasized that membership in the State Council imposes responsibility on the leaders of the Duma factions.