Translated material
I am ready to become not only the president, but also the guarantor of the Constitution
Yes, I didn't make a mistake. I know very well that according to the letter of the law, the President is the guarantor of the Constitution, but is this really so? And is it possible to say with confidence that all articles of the Constitution are being strictly implemented today? Have they become empty words, notes on paper not backed up by concrete actions on the part of the authorities? Unconditional, literal implementation of the articles of the current Constitution is a requirement of today's socio-political life. My Presidential program is aimed precisely at returning these articles to their original meaning. Let me give you a few examples.
Article 1 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation: “The Russian Federation (Russia) is a democratic federal state governed by the rule of law.”
It is difficult to agree that our country today is the most democratic. That is why one of the main blocks of my program was the block of political reforms. We need a complete overhaul of election laws: people express their will through the institution of elections, and not a single vote should be lost or stolen. I propose to develop a unified new electoral code so that any elections in our country, from municipal to presidential, will be based on a single document, and not on numerous ones, as now. And also immediately adopt the Law on Parliamentary Control and the Law on Guarantees of Parliamentary Activities (Law on Opposition).
Article 3: “The bearer of sovereignty, the only source of power in the Russian Federation is its multinational people. The people exercise their power directly, as well as through state authorities and local governments.”
Alas, today the people are very far from power, and even in the election procedure unscrupulous officials make their own adjustments, simply put, they shamelessly falsify the results of the true will of the people. Tightening penalties for election fraud will cool the ardor of all those who like to cheat.
But even with fair elections, do our citizens have the opportunity to take an active part in the discussion of various serious bills? I believe that Russia today, more than ever, needs to hold referendums on a wide range of issues, since referendums are a direct manifestation of the power of the people. People take to the streets because they want to be heard. And it is the organization of referendums that will reduce social tension and give people the opportunity to show their civic position in a legal framework and with the understanding that the emergence of a specific law will depend on their decision.
At the same time, one of my main tasks will be the development of local self-government. A long-needed measure is the election of mayors and governors, members of the Federation Council. A confusing situation has developed in the cities of federal subordination - Moscow and St. Petersburg: residents of the two capitals are essentially deprived of the right to local self-government. I am convinced that in Moscow, prefects and heads of councils, and in St. Petersburg, heads of districts, should be elected by the population. Consequently, there must be district councils with appropriate powers, which today have been curtailed for municipal deputies in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Article 7: “The Russian Federation is a social state.”
There is no need to continue further; the gap between rich and poor in Russia is huge. It is the fight against poverty and the organization of life in a fair manner that many socio-economic reforms are devoted to, which have found a place in my Presidential program, based on the program of my party A JUST RUSSIA. Introduction of a luxury tax, a progressive scale of income tax, limitation of tariffs for housing and communal services and transport transportation. A separate line will include the exclusion of all pension and salary privileges for deputies of any level over citizens of the Russian Federation. The average salary in the country is the salary of a federal deputy. It is then that officials will feel how and what ordinary Russian citizens actually live on.
Article 13: “No ideology may be established as state or mandatory.”
And although on paper public associations are equal, there is always a feeling that some are more equal, and a certain party card becomes an indulgence against unprofessionalism, incompetence and simply gross violations of the law. Countering political monopoly is the goal of my political initiatives. I believe that there should be more parties in Russia, so all the obstacles that United Russia poses to its political competitors today should be removed. For example, the notification procedure for registering new parties is a measure that is much talked about, but which has not yet been implemented. We are also talking about the barrier to entry into the State Duma, which I propose to reduce to 3%.
Article 19: “Everyone is equal before the law and the court.”
A fat wallet or a call from above is the reality that our citizens have to face, while the country is suffocating without a right, fair and speedy trial. Judicial reform is, as they say, overripe. And its main requirement is the election of judges. By the way, judicial reform is directly related to the effectiveness of the fight against corruption. And since the last of my three main areas of presidential activity (the fight against poverty, the demographic problem) is the fight against corruption, judicial reform will be one of the first.
In parallel with this, I am eliminating parliamentary immunity at any level. No one will be tempted to go to power in order to gain parliamentary immunity.
The new police law will also facilitate the implementation of Article 19 of the Constitution. According to it, the current police force will be divided into two components: the federal criminal police, which will investigate criminal crimes, and the municipal public security police. The leaders of this police force, along with local police officers, will be elected by citizens and not appointed from above. Let me stop here.
There are more than enough examples of veiled non-compliance with articles of the Constitution. I repeat once again that my entire presidential election program is aimed at returning the articles of the Constitution to their original meaning and effectiveness throughout Russia for everyone without exception - from the ordinary citizen to the President.
However, I do not consider the Constitution, adopted almost 20 years ago, to be an absolutely unshakable document. It must meet the requirements of its time. In particular, I propose adding to the Constitution an article on the election of members of the Federation Council. And even more so, it is necessary to clarify those articles that contain some ambiguity. It is necessary to stipulate once and for all that someone can be president for no more than two terms, and the loophole with the word “consecutive” should be eliminated. Two terms - consecutive or not - is a sufficient period for any elected person to implement the entire program he has planned.
I am ready to become President of the Transitional Period , and two years will be enough for me to launch the entire wide range of reforms that I describe in my Presidential Program. If later I see that my reforms have found support among the people, I will again nominate my candidacy for early presidential elections, which will be held under new, fair electoral legislation.