Minister Non Grata

The United Russia decided not to let Mikhail Zurabov into the State Duma, the Minister of Health and Social Development Mikhail Zurabov was supposed to make a government hour in the State Duma with a report on the provision of beneficiaries and the spread of falsified drugs. However, yesterday, the Secretary of the Presidium of the General Council of United Russia, Vyacheslav Volodin announced the decision of the party not to let the minister into the State Duma.

The Minister of Zurabov is accustomed to work under the fire of criticism from the moment of his appointment in March 2004. Three years later, on March 4, 2007, the St. Petersburg United Russia began collecting signatures for his resignation, and a day later, the leader of Fair Russia, Sergei Mironov, developed the idea of a party in power and even proposed to create a separate Ministry of Health.

The Duma faction of "United Russia" with the mouths of Vyacheslav Volodin demanded that Zurabov’s performance on March 20-21 be transferred to today: "It was decided to not allow Zurabov to the Duma. This is a serious signal and the actual announcement of his person Non Grata."

According to Volodin, to correct the situation with the provision of beneficiaries, the minister is allocated for the minister with medicines. If the problems are not resolved during this time, "a person will need to write a statement." At the same time, Volodin added that when deciding on the possible resignation of Mikhail Zurabov, you need to act carefully, since the change of the official does not guarantee immediate correction of the situation.

Not all parties agree with Volodin’s opinion. The first deputy chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, Ivan Melnikov, told Gazeta to the correspondent that although his party occupies an equally tough position in relation to the minister, Volodin considers the demand of Volodin to be destructive: "Zurabov should be dismissed, but, until he works, the problems of citizens need to be solved, and the minister needs to be put pressure, including as part of a government hour."

Melnikov noted that the Communists will certainly require the provision of a parliamentary tribune to Zurabov.

The last time the head of the RAO UES Anatoly Chubais was subjected to similar pressure from the deputies two years ago. True, he was allowed into the lower house of parliament, but they did not give him a next report on the reform of RAO UES. However, he did not lose his post.

03/06/2007 / Olga Pavlikova, the material was published in the newspaper No. 41 dated 07.03.2007.