| The Minister of Defense distributed medals and titles to deputies State Duma deputies yesterday celebrated Defender of the Fatherland Day ahead of schedule in the company of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov and other prominent state security officials. From their hands, parliamentarians received awards, memorial signs and military ranks.
In his congratulatory speech, the Minister of Defense thanked the Duma members for their contribution to military legislation and expressed joy that “the 2003 budget expenditures are for the first time closer to the real needs of the armed forces.” After that, he presented the honorary medal “200 years of the Ministry of Defense” to the speaker of the chamber Gennady Seleznev, first vice-speaker Lyubov Sliska, vice-speakers Vladimir Zhirinovsky, Georgy Boos, Artur Chilingarov, Vladimir Averchenko, head of the LDPR faction Igor Lebedev, head of the agro-industrial deputy group Nikolai Kharitonov , Chairman of the Defense Committee Andrei Nikolaev and other honored fighters. The only awarded female deputy, Lyubov Sliska, as it turned out, at one time completed a nursing course and received a military ID, so the Ministry of Defense was not mistaken with her candidacy.
The Minister of Defense also, based on the results of the training camp, awarded the rank of major to deputies Sergei Levchenko (Communist Party of the Russian Federation), Alexander Orgolainen (People's Deputy), Anatoly Chekis (Agricultural Group) and Alexander Shimanov (SPS). Anatoly Chekhoev from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation became a colonel. “Deputies are citizens like the rest of us. And the titles were assigned to them in accordance with the law,” the Minister of Defense later explained to reporters.
Then FAPSI General Director Vladimir Matyukhin presented the deputies with badges “For honor and dignity in service to the Fatherland.” The head of the Russian Special Construction Service, Nikolai Ambroskin, pleased the parliamentarians with the medal “For Distinction in Service.” At the same time, everyone considered it their duty to reward Gennady Seleznev first. The speaker, as a return courtesy, presented the guests in uniform with a commemorative watch.
Probably, in order not to spoil the holiday for the awardees, deputies Alexander Fedulov and Sergei Mitrokhin withdrew from today's plenary meeting draft resolutions on the release of Seleznev and Zhirinovsky from the posts of speaker and vice-speaker. Ksenia VERETENNIKOVA |
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