Leonid Romankov

The host of the St. Petersburg hour of the Liberty Live program Olga Pispanen: in St. Petersburg, candidates for the post of Commissioner for Human Rights began again. This year, the city parliament has already made an attempt to choose Ombudsman, but not one of the candidates who went on the second round gained the required number of votes. Why, in St. Petersburg, where the regional law on the Commissioner for Human Rights was adopted by one of the first in Russia, is still not Ombudsman? We will talk about this with our guest, one of the developers of the Law on the Commissioner for Human Rights in St. Petersburg, Chairman of the Commission on Education, Culture and Science of the Legislative Assembly of the city of the first and second convocation by Leonid Romankov.

Leonid Petrovich, before we start a conversation about why the Commissioner for Human Rights is still not elected in St. Petersburg, since today is such a day, the anniversary of the capture of hostages on Dubrovka, I wanted you to briefly set out your view of the situation with human rights in Russia in general?

Leonid Romankov: Probably, this is still better than before perestroika. Now there is no such political persecution of dissenters as it was before. There is no war against dissidents, there are no such landings and expulsions abroad, however, I can’t say that the situation was brilliant, because, we all know that hazing remained in the army, human rights violations remained during police investigations, interrogations, and so on, we know that there are big problems with children. In any case, I can’t say that everything is fine and you need to not think about it, and calm down.

Olga Pispanen: just the institution of Ombudsman, as it is called in the West, that is, the Commissioner for Human Rights, is designed to join Russia, as it were, to the world process of protecting human rights. In St. Petersburg, unfortunately, the Commissioner was never elected. There were six attempts, now the next nomination of candidates is beginning. I want to offer to listen to a report on this topic, which was prepared by our correspondent Dmitry execution:

Dmitry execution: In St. Petersburg, the procedure for the election of the Commissioner for Human Rights began. This city was one of the first in the country where in 1997 the law on the elections of Ombudsman was adopted. Since then, deputies of the local parliament have tried to do this 6 times, and not a single attempt was not successful. At the same time, each time among the applicants was the leader, as a rule, a human rights activist known in the city, or a person with liberal views, who ultimately did not gain the right number of votes. During this time, 24 Commissioners for Human Rights were already elected and worked in Russia. Why can not Ombudsman choose such a city as Petersburg? Evgeny Bestuzhev, the host of the program "Promoting the establishment of the Institute of Commissioners for Human Rights" The Strategy of the Humanitarian Center "was involved in this issue in many regions of Russia.

Evgeny Bestuzhev: According to the experience of the election of Ombudsmanov in many other constituent entities of the Russian Federation, I can say that these elections were successfully passed only when it was possible to agree.

Dmitry execution: It turns out that the position of the Commissioner for Human Rights should become a bargaining coin in order to become interested in the authorities and conduct the right person. At the same time, the Ombudsman, by law, is independent of the authorities, and this is one of the main working conditions in this position, causing opposition to both executive and legislative power. According to Natalia Tsimbalova, the manager of the program "Ombudsman and Human Rights" The Humanitarian Center "Strategy" in St. Petersburg, such a person simply did not suit power.

Natalya Tsimbalova: Fortunately, or unfortunately, we have constant political storms, but this post was-no one needs it, if it were something more significant for the authorities, of course, they would have made some more significant efforts to conduct their person. And so it turns out that neither one nor others really need it.

Dmitry execution: deputies of the Legislative Assembly of the city, who should choose the Commissioner for Human Rights, according to Natalia Tsimbalova, see a competitor in Ombudsman. After all, it is the people's deputies who are something like the defenders of the rights of their voters, which, ultimately, boils down to the installation of new benches and the purchase of computers for schools. Now that the power in the city has changed, how will the new governor behave? It can be assumed that Valentin Matvienko’s systematically putting on important posts of his people will not forget and this one, supposedly, is not an interesting position, and not a human rights activist will take it, but a person suitable for all the criteria of the new government.

Olga Pispanen: please tell Leonid Petrovich whether you and the expert of the Political Science Center "Strategy" by Natalya Tsimbalova agree that the Commissioner for Human Rights in St. Petersburg has not yet been elected because the candidacy has not satisfied the authorities.

Leonid Romankov: To some extent. The fact is that, as a rule, the executive branch violates human rights. Therefore, the executive branch does not need a bright figure that could effectively protect human rights, since this is connected to some extent with the denunciation of the executive branch, and the legislative branch does not need a too passive figure that would suit the governor in this position, but could not work effectively in this post. Therefore, the governor Yakovlev is still those people whom he put forward, they did not satisfy the criteria of the legislative assembly - so that this is a figure with a bright reputation that could work well and effectively in this post. I hope that the new governor, Matvienko Valentina Ivanovna, understands the significance of this figure, the need for, relatively speaking, the civilized functioning of the city, and that it will be profitable in this sense to differ from Yakovlev, and will try to make efforts to ensure that a fairly famous and rather fundamental person is elected to this post.

Olga Pispanen: Leonid Petrovich, you were also one of the candidates for this position when elections in May were held in May, according to your estimates, why still deputies cannot decide, and even happened that 45 ballots were issued when the urn was opened, it turned out only 25, what is it? The unconsciousness of the deputies, or simply the unwillingness to participate in this process?

Leonid Romankov: Of course, this is not by chance, but the fact is that according to the procedure, two candidates are going on the second round, who gained the greatest number of votes in the first, and it so happened that both figures do not suit deputies. Therefore, they simply carried out the ballots consciously, since none of these candidates, in their opinion, was worthy to take the post of Commissioner for Human Rights.

Olga Pispanen: But now the nomination has begun again. What will be the procedure in general? Should public organizations be put forward to candidates, or deputies themselves? Who has the right to put forward?

Leonid Romankov: We have a rather democratic law in this sense. The deputies of our legislative assembly, deputies of the State Duma from St. Petersburg, as well as public associations, political parties, and the governor have the right. Therefore, a fairly wide circle of those who have such a right. Therefore, the lists are quite large, it may not be very good, because such odious figures come, such as Kabermanov, the king of the anti -bureaucratic war, or Gennady Popov, not quite an adequate person, in my opinion, but this is a wide range from which you can choose. And most importantly - that the elections will be after the elections to the State Duma, after December 7, so I hope the political component will be excluded when the post will be considered as a certain preference towards a particular political party, and this will be a more objective and impartial competition of candidates.

Olga Pispanen: One of the main conditions for the existence of the Ombudsman Institute is his independence. In the law, as I understand it, it is spelled out. How really will the Ombudsman be independent of the power of executive, legislative?

Leonid Romankov: You know, this is a very good question. I poked a lot on this topic with my opponents, and even with like -minded people. Yes, in accordance with federal law it is now stated that this candidacy is independent, it is not even a candidate, and the position is independent of power. And what is independence from the branches of power, when one of them should provide you with a premises, office equipment, relatively speaking, salaries, and so on? Therefore, I am afraid that this formal independence may be in practice dependent on who simply provides you with the opportunity to work. We know this on the story with the Federal Ombudsman. Formally - yes, it should be independent, but not only in theory, but also in practice.

Olga Pispanen: And did your life somehow affect the tragedy of Nord-Ost?

Leonid Romankov: Such things cannot but leave a mark in the soul, although I quite clearly saw by the answers of citizens that people are afraid of law enforcement agencies, if not more, no less than bandits. And this is true, because I know a lot of cases when law enforcement agencies, especially in relation to persons of the so -called Caucasian nationality, or to foreigners, commit absolutely unlawful actions. In addition, the most important thing, probably, is such a thing: when human rights are violated, this causes people to have a desire for revenge and protest, and I think that the observance of human rights is the only thing that could to some extent guarantee from terrorism, from acts of personal revenge, from acts of revenge in such a public revenge. This is an extremely painful topic.

Olga Pispanen: But just this tragedy once again highlighted the situation with human rights in Russia ... We began to talk about the independence of the Ombudsman Institute. By the way, one listener called us and asked the following question: why is the Ombudsman, and not the Ombudsman, as is customary according to the transcription of the English language?

Leonid Romankov: The fact is that the one who invented the word has the right to name. The computer was invented in England, a computer is called, not a computer, so this word - Swedish origin, the Ombudsman first appeared in Sweden, so say the right Ombudsman, although, if you write in Latin letters, the Englishman will read the Ombudsman.

Olga Pispanen: Leonid Petrovich, and yet we hope that this person in St. Petersburg will finally be elected, but we began to talk about the fact that he should be independent-and at what means should the device exist? Because the load will be huge, you will have to do a lot of work, and you need a room, and you need a salary, how is it all spelled out in the law?

Leonid Romankov: Yes, the law says that the funds should be allocated in the budget with a separate line for the maintenance of the Ombudsman and its apparatus. And we know that already 24 such authorities in Russia existed. I met them. Many of them have support from the executive branch, this always affects the activity well. Some have a confrontation. But, nevertheless, from Ternia to the stars through difficulties, this post is gaining authority in Russia, and I hope that such a position will appear in our city, such a person who will take this post, and he will help to some extent in the city of creating an atmosphere when human rights will be respected. But you know what is curious: I read several articles on this subject, that even the economic situation of the country and the city depends on the human rights, then a person is free in his work, and creativity, innovative, technological, provides, relatively speaking, the production of a product that is then sold, conquered, makes production, taxes, and so on. And there was such a curious connection between observing human rights and the economic development of the country. It turned out that developed countries, those countries that are now more successful, in them one of the key positions is the observance of human rights, their protection.

Olga Pispanen: Leonid Petrovich, so you said that the Ombudsman apparatus should be financed from the budget. Just now, the city takes a budget discussion for the next year, is this line laid in 2004?

Leonid Romankov: I didn't look. There is a line this year, and the money, of course, will not be spent because there is no authorized person. I must have just been going to call and ask, such a line must be mandatory.

Olga Pispanen: But there are just a lot of complaints, on the one hand, the deputies caused a draft budget, but still they approved a majority vote, however, in the first reading, as I understand it, hoping for the promises that the administration made-to somehow increase the city’s budget, as socially directed-are you familiar with it?

Leonid Romankov: I more or less agree that, of course, this is a credit of trust Valentina Ivanovna Matvienko, because the budget, in my opinion, is not too good, there are large distortions in it, I think, as always, it is not taken into account, about billions of 10 are hidden additional revenues, in addition, as far as I remember I watched the main numbers - an increase in budget revenues less than the coefficient inflation. This means that the budget in the actual numbers is larger, and in relative ones less, that is, we are not developing. And if we keep in mind the task that our president set before us is to increase the doubling of GDP, then I somehow do not see Petersburg adequately respond to this wish. Maybe in the second reading, but, in principle, the second reading no longer changes the main parameters - income, expenses, there is a shortage, and so on. It seems to me that this is not a very successful budget. I understand that Valentina Ivanovna had a small attitude towards him, he was developed even under Beglova, maybe during the second reading it would be possible to somehow change internal distortions.

Olga Pispanen: Leonid Petrovich, in St. Petersburg, in general, there are a sufficient number of human rights and public organizations that are trying to protect the rights of citizens, but still their activities are so disunity. If the institution of the Commissioner for Human Rights appears, will he be able to become such a unifying center?

Leonid Romankov: I just have to become. You know, there are really many organizations, I have great respect for their activities, this is “civil control”, “memorial”, and “soldiers' mothers”, these are serious, well -working, active organizations, and it is just written down in the law that, under the authorized person, expert councils from representatives of the largest human rights organizations have the right to be created. I think that whoever is elected to this post, one of the first tasks is the consolidation and coordination of the efforts of all human rights organizations aimed at different directions - at disabled, at children, at military personnel, at political prisoners, and so on.

Olga Pispanen: We have a question from the radio listener. You are on the air: listener: I want to share my opinion. I had an absolutely confident opinion about Nord-Ost that this is a thoughtful action of the authorities, as they conducted experience over people at the same time intimidated people, indeed, there is no confidence in their security. Because we are afraid of law enforcement agencies much more than those bandits with whom no one is fighting, but on the contrary, they are completely protected by the authorities, since this is the weapon they need.

Olga Pispanen: Leonid Petrovich, in your opinion, how will the new elections will take place?

Leonid Romankov: I don’t know, a lot depends on the position of Valentina Ivanovna. If she uses her influence in the meeting with legislative, and if the candidacy will arrange it and most of the deputies, then this consolidation of efforts can finally lead to the fact that its Commissioner will appear in St. Petersburg. This is a difficult thing, this is a big responsibility. This is hard work, so many people offended

Olga Pispanen: again depends on the authorities after all.

Leonid Romankov: These are elections. Not all, of course, but most. But already daily activity does not depend on the governor, but on the authorized, apparatus, his readiness to work a lot and efficiently.