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Russian official clarifies provisions of Putin's bill on governors
Interfax

Moscow, 28 September: The new law on the formation of bodies of state power in Russian Federation constituent parts will fully come into effect throughout the whole country most probably by 2009, deputy head of the Russian president's administration, Vladislav Surkov, told Interfax.

Surkov noted that the Russian president had submitted the said bill to the State Duma yesterday evening.

Surkov said that the bill envisages a limit on the age of candidates for governor. They will have to be at least 30 years of age.

According to the bill, the president will have the right to submit a candidate for appointment to the post of governor to the local legislative assembly twice. However, the law does not say whether this can be the same candidate both times, or a new one the second time.

Should the legislative assembly reject the candidate proposed by the president, the president has the right to appoint an acting governor. The decision on possible dissolution of the legislative assembly remains at the president's discretion.

A governor who has already been elected by the legislative assembly may be removed from his office should it become impossible for him or her to fulfil his or her functions or in cases of "loss of confidence" in him or her.

The president may also remove a governor from office if he is in agreement with a decision by the legislative assembly, which has independently initiated the issue of no confidence in the governor.

Replying to a question, Surkov said that the governors currently in office will remain in their posts until their terms expire.

Surkov also noted that the bill submitted by the president does not say anything about the number of terms. According to current local laws and federal law, one individual may only occupy the post of governor for two consecutive terms. The new laws stipulates no such limits.

Replying to a question from Interfax, Surkov said that the issue of formation of bodies of power, starting from governors and going lower, right down to municipalities, is currently being worked out.

He noted that there is an opinion favouring "extending the influence of federal bodies of power beyond the boundaries of administrative centres, but no final decision has yet been taken on this issue".

Surkov stressed that every candidate for the post of governor will be discussed in the regions, with presidential envoys, and only after this has been done will the president recommend a candidate for the post of governor.

He noted that this system for bodies of power has been brought about by the necessity of preserving the territorial integrity of the state. He added that this law will sharply raise the issue of the necessity of having a realistic personnel policy.

Candidates for the post of governor "should be cultivated in the localities and acquire the relevant experience of practical work both in federal centres and in the localities. This will require a return to the necessity of creating a personnel reserve both in the centre and in the localities," Surkov stressed.

He also noted that "the posting of certain individuals from the centre to occupy governor posts will be minimal quantitatively".

["There are no plans to reform the Federation Council," Surkov was quoted as saying by ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow, in Russian 1125 gmt 28 Sep 04. The upper chamber of parliament "is in full correspondence with life today", he said.]