The relevant committee of the Duma passed a bill giving the government the right to propose to the president to dismiss governors for failure to fulfill federal powers

Photo: Oleg Yakovlev / RBC

The State Duma Committee on Local Self-Government intends to return to consideration of a bill that would give the President and the government the right to delegate federal powers to the regions through regulatory legal acts. The project allows ministers to contact the government with a proposal to initiate the resignation of governors if they improperly exercise powers supervised by federal authorities. Powers are transferred simultaneously with the redistribution of funds from the center to the regions through subventions from the federal budget or the budgets of state extra-budgetary funds.

The government's initiative was introduced in April last year and adopted in the first reading in June; consideration of the amendments was postponed to the beginning of the autumn session. However, in September, the Ministry of Regional Development, which was in charge of this issue, was abolished, and therefore the passage of the law was frozen, explains the interlocutor in the committee. This year, the Ministry of Justice decided to address this issue; the committee is awaiting government amendments, and therefore the deadline for their submission has been extended until May 30. The corresponding decision was made on April 20 by the State Duma Council.

There are no conceptual changes to the bill for the second reading, says the interlocutor in the committee. According to him, as soon as the government's proposals are received, the committee will immediately begin to consider them.

Several comments were made during the initiative's discussion at a committee meeting last year. It is not clear from the text of the bill who can ultimately initiate the resignation of the governor, noted then committee member Vyacheslav Timchenko, who left for the Federation Council in the fall. A representative of the Ministry of Regional Development explained that this is only about the government’s right to submit such proposals to the president, who retains the decision on dismissal. According to the law on the general principles of organizing regional government bodies, the president can dismiss the governor in two cases: when the regional legislative assembly expresses no confidence in him or due to the loss of confidence of the head of state.

In addition, it is necessary to prescribe a procedure for taking into account the opinions of the regions when transferring powers to them, deputies of the relevant committee indicated. The bill only provides for the right of regional authorities to submit comments on the draft act on the transfer of powers within 30 days. According to the document, powers can only be transferred to all regions at once. It was also proposed to prescribe a procedure for returning powers back to the federal level.

The Constitutional Committee of the Duma notes in its review that it is necessary to study the question of what powers of the Russian Federation can be transferred to regional government bodies, and to clarify in what order the heads of federal executive bodies and the government can initiate the removal of a governor from office.

Of the 13 reviews from regional authorities on the project received by the Duma, two contained criticism (from the governments of the Tula and Vologda regions). The introduction of a new reason for the removal of a governor from office is inappropriate, “since it will narrow the possibilities for a general assessment of the activities of the highest official of a constituent entity of the Russian Federation, determined taking into account balanced and complementary rights and responsibilities in unity and in a system with other powers,” one of them said.

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The State Duma may allow the government to dismiss governors