04 June 2004 10:17
Russian Duma passes controversial new law on rallies
Moscow, 4 June: The State Duma adopted today in the third and final reading the bill "On meetings, rallies,
demonstrations, marches and picketing". With a minimum of 226 votes required, 336 deputies voted in favour of the
bill, 97 voted against it and two abstained.
The blueprint of the document had been submitted to the lower house by the government of the Russian Federation. The
document affirms the requirement to notify the authorities about staging rallies, marches, demonstrations or picketing,
rather than seeking permission, as was the case earlier. It stipulates that public demonstrations can be held between
0700 and 2300 hours; defines the status of their organizers and participants, which may include both ordinary citizens
of majority age, and existing political parties; and defines the procedure, forms and nature of public
demonstrations.
The bill also provides for "creating realistic and safe conditions for staging rallies". With this aim, it
lists the territories near which marches and pickets may not be staged. The version of the text suggested by the cabinet
of ministers included on that list the buildings of state government bodies and diplomatic missions. That provision
evoked harsh public criticism, and consequently amendments were tabled, above all by the head of state. Vladimir Putin
sent the MPs a number of comments moderating the "prohibitive norms" of the bill. When the lower house
approved the changes in the second reading, it resolved that rallies should only be banned near hazardous and harmful
production facilities, main railway lines, flyovers, border areas, courts and prisons, and residences of the president
of the Russian Federation.
Under the terms of the bill, notification about rallies should be submitted not earlier than 15 and not later than 10
days, and notification about picketing, not later than three days before the final date for staging an event.
[ITAR-TASS news agency] |
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