The draft law on changing the electoral legislation, adopted by the State Duma on Wednesday in the second reading, contains new amendments to the law “On the Procedure for Forming the Federation Council.” According to Kommersant, we are talking about the return of the mechanism for recalling senators at the initiative of the regional authorities.
This rule, recalls the publication, was abolished more than ten years ago.
The authors of the amendments clarified that those members of the upper chamber who, for example, do not visit their region for a long time, can lose their powers ahead of schedule, and in the case of a “biased attitude” towards senators, the Federation Council itself will protect them.
The amendments involve several changes to the law. Thus, for example, uniform requirements are fixed for candidates for senators from the executive branch. In addition, the amendments bring the requirements for candidates for senators in line with the restrictions of passive suffrage, that is, they expand the list of criminal offenses, the verdict on which prevents them from getting into the Federation Council. Also, changes to the law restore the institution of recall of senators at the request of the regional authorities.
According to one of the authors of the amendments, the institute of recall will increase the responsibility of members of the Federation Council.
Meanwhile, Kommersant notes, deputy Alexei Kurinny spoke out against the return of such a mechanism. He fears that the powers of “some wrong senators who vote incorrectly, take the wrong position” will be terminated upon the presentation of the regions.
Source: Rosbalt
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