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RUSSIAN SENATOR ON THE PRINCIPLE OF FORMING GOVERNMENT ON THE BASIS OF PARLIAMENTARY MAJORITY

MOSCOW, May 16, 2003. /From RIA Novosti correspondent Maria Balynina/--The principle of forming the government on the basis of a parliamentary majority will not require any amendments to the current Constitution, Yury Sharandin, Chairman of the Constitutional Committee of the Federal Council, or the upper house of the Russian parliament, said in a RIA Novosti interview while commenting on a part from the president's state-of-the-nation address that dealt with the forming of the government on the basis of results of parliamentary elections.

"It is a decisive and step and it's absolutely right," said Sharandin. "It is a step towards a truly democratic state structure." Recalling that the country's Constitution said the power in Russia belonged to the people, the senator stressed, "The people of Russia, just like the peoples of other countries, hands over its mandate of trust to certain parties by means of elections to the State Duma." In his opinion, the voters' trust "must cover the executive power as well." "Should Russia manage to implement the principle of forming the government on the basis of a parliamentary majority, it will add another point to the list of features characteristic of a truly democratic state," said Sharandin, adding that this step would also enable the country to establish a closer link between the executive and legislative power.

Speaking about other basic theses of the president's state-of-the-nation address, he highlighted the prospect of doubling the gross domestic product, introduction of a contract-based army, and the importance of amending the Russian citizenship policy.