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#15 - JRL 2007-150 - JRL Home
Constitutional Court Chair: Russia's Turn To Democracy Not Irreversible

MOSCOW. July 6 (Interfax) - Russia's progress toward democracy has not yet reached the point of no return, chairman of the Russian Constitutional Court Valery Zorkin believes.

"Russia has not lived out the danger of law turning into lawlessness, and lawlessness into social havoc," he said at a Friday seminar jointly held by the Constitutional Court and the International Union of Lawyers.

"In my opinion, there is still no guarantee of stable democracy at its advanced stage. There has been no irreversible turn toward the supremacy of law and democracy yet," he said adding that the supremacy of law is the essence of democracy.

In Zorkin's opinion, the process can become irreversible only with the transformation of public mentality, which should learn to settle all conflicts in a lawful way. "If should be done so that living against the law would mean the same as eating a piece of rotten, raw meat," he said.

Because legal awareness has not changed in Russia, the authorities play a leading role in society, all reforms have been instituted from the top and the public remains passive, Zorkin said.

"This has been the key reason for the failure of the previous reforms. On the other hand, this has also been the key factor strengthening power," he said, adding that it may conceal a dangerous trend toward further strengthening of the powers that be.