Absentees have no place in the Duma

March 18, Russian deputies adopted the law-in-draft of "The Fair Russia" in the first reading, including its leader Sergei Mironov, to revoke the mandates of deputies who systematically failed to perform their duties, such as absentees. Earlier, the State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin expressed the view that this initiative will strengthen the political competition and the discipline of the deputies in the implementation of policies for which the voters voted. All factions were "for" except the Communists when voting.

One of the authors of the law-in-draft, Deputy Oleg Nilov, said that to solve the problem of the law-in-draft is proposed to change the legal nature of a State Duma deputy's mandate and give it mandatory.

Such an approach, in his opinion, is fully consistent with the position of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation, expressed in its Resolution dated 28 February 2012 №4-P, according to which the relationship is fundamentally important for deputies and citizens, whose interests it represents, mediated by the activity of political parties.

The law-in-draft has caused a lot of deputies’ emotions. The Liberal Democrats immediately reminded colleagues, a similar but more detailed law-in-draft of the LDPR faction is under consideration by the House for 10 years. And what is the result? It was not reached, but a similar initiative of the Socialist-Revolutionaries is considered! LDPR leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky has expressed disappointment with the fact that the law on this subject should have been taken long ago.

Dissatisfaction was expressed by the Communist Alexander Kulikov. He supposes that the law-in-draft is aimed at further curtailing the rights, freedoms and democracy in Russia. A colleague of Kulikov in the faction Valentin Shurchanov also supposes that today there is no need to adopt such a law, as these issues can be solved within the existing legal framework.

The head of the Duma constitutional Committee Vladimir Pligin became universal mediator. He said that the amendments to the second reading, which until Monday will be included at the House, and clarify what "systematic dereliction of duty," and other ambiguities, the disputed provisions.

The practice of deprivation parliamentary mandate for failing to discipline at work is very common in the world. For example, it operates in China, Finland, Canada, Austria, and Japan.

Affairs of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine are not the best way with the performance of parliamentary duties.

Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Vladimir Groisman initiated the campaign "Stop Absentee". Its purpose – is to monitor the attendance of parliamentary deputies. According to Groisman, the official website of the Verkhovna Rada will made public information on how to vote and the deputies who are present / absent at the session of Verkhovna Rada.

However, the head of the Ukrainian parliament has promised major changes regarding the principles of People's Deputies.