Don't express yourself

The Moscow City Duma today approved the “Deputy Code of Ethics.” Among the parliamentary taboos is the use of obscene language. The document, in particular, provides that when an act is committed that “disgraces the honor and dignity of a deputy and undermines the authority of the Duma,” the ethics commission has the right to inform the press and voters about the deputy’s unworthy behavior. Concerns about morality can affect the legislative productivity of the Duma: some deputies risk losing common ground with each other.