Translated material
European on the throne
The Kaliningrad governor suggested that local deputies restore the “against all” column
Members of the parliament of the Kaliningrad region are at a loss - they do not know what to do and who to turn to for advice. This is perhaps the first time they have found themselves in such a difficult situation. And Governor Georgy Boos put them in this piquant position.On January 10, the regional Duma received a letter in which, signed by Georgy Boos, deputies were asked to make changes to the regional law “On elections of deputies of the Kaliningrad Regional Duma.” The amendment indicated in the letter led parliamentarians into confusion - the governor proposed returning the “against all” column to the ballot papers.
It should be noted that not all deputies were scared, but only those who are members of the United Russia faction (they are, however, the majority, and it is the “bears” who control the situation in the regional Duma). Kaliningrad United Russia found itself between two fires. After all, quite recently the “against all” column was abolished at the federal level, and this was done precisely by the hands of the ruling party. And Georgy Boos, as you know, is a member of the Supreme Council of United Russia. As a result, the Duma “bears”, who read the governor’s letter, had a “short-circuit” in their heads - they could not understand who they should follow. If you refuse the governor, he will be upset and possibly angry (and the local Duma is afraid of his anger). But if you agree with him, it may anger the party leaders in Moscow, and they won’t pat you on the back either.
The deputies found themselves at an impasse. Moreover, Mr. Boos is very convincing in his argumentation. The letter signed by him, in particular, states: “In accordance with Article 29 of the Constitution of Russia, no one can be forced to express their opinions and beliefs or to renounce them. The abolition of the form of voting against all candidates forces citizens of the Russian Federation, when electing deputies of the Kaliningrad Regional Duma, who believe that none of the nominated candidates or lists of candidates can be elected (admitted to the distribution of deputy mandates), to renounce their opinion, which violates the constitutional rights of citizens RF". That is, everything is logical - there is a Constitution, its provisions must be fulfilled. It is strange, however, that United Russia did not remember this last year, when the “against all” column was abolished at the federal level.
The regional Duma already had a committee on legislation, at which the governor’s proposal was lively discussed. And earlier, a dispute broke out over this issue during a meeting of the regional Duma council (not all deputies are included there, but only the most influential). A number of parliamentarians said that regional authorities do not have the right to talk about restoring the “against everyone” column - they say this is the competence of the federal authorities. However, in his letter, the governor writes that the protest column is an additional guarantee of the voting rights of citizens. And regional authorities can introduce just such guarantees through their laws.
As a result, they decided to postpone the issue until January 24. By this time, parliamentarians hope to find out the nature of the governor's letter. How should it be assessed? Maybe this is how people’s representatives are tested for loyalty (many have already “twitched” and began to consult)? Or is there a more complex maneuver here? The Regional Duma, for example, will decide to stand in opposition to the head of the region on this issue, adopting amendments to the law without the column “against all” (the legal department of the regional Duma, by the way, has already prepared a negative opinion on the governor’s idea). Then the law can be vetoed. The Duma, led by the "bears", will try to overcome it (it is unlikely that it will succeed - the oligarchs who are part of the ruling faction may well deceive their fellow United Russia members, and there will not be enough votes). But if it overcomes it, the document will come into force, and the governor may well go to court, regarding the amendments as contrary to the Constitution. And then the mechanism will begin, threatening the regional parliament with dissolution. Kaliningrad legislators retell this version to each other in a whisper as the most terrible. Along the way, adding another horror story - after the dissolution of the regional Duma, it can be formed anew, but not from 40 deputies (as now), but from 20, all according to party lists.
Anything is possible, of course (especially considering that the new edition of the region’s charter was never adopted; it was stopped at the very last stage). There was even a version that there was a banal mistake made by officials of the Kaliningrad regional administration - they say they misunderstood their boss, prepared the wrong amendment and ended up frightening impressionable deputies.
However, Vremya Novostey managed to refute this version. The received letter from the governor cannot be regarded as an erroneously prepared document. This was reported to the newspaper by the head of the regional government department for legal support of legislative activities and relations with the regional Duma, Elena Sukhoruchenko. “This is the position of the governor. We intend to defend his point of view,” she explained. According to her, the issue of the “against all” column will be considered by the regional Duma at a plenary meeting on January 25.