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Deputy Chairman of the
Yabloko faction in the State Duma Sergei Ivanenko thinks
that a number of deputies elected in single-mandate electoral
districts may have their own view in voting at the third
reading (on May 31) for the three drafts submitted by the
President Putin and aimed at strengthening the power vertical.
On May 29 Ivanenko, in an
interview with journalists, expressed his opinion that,
despite the formal support of these drafts by the governors,
"they will conduct such policies so that these laws are
not adopted, at least in their present versions. He also
noted that the governors are continuing their talks with
the deputies representing the regions to influence their
decisions. Ivanenko also stressed that the position of the
deputies elected in single-mandate electoral districts will
not be decisive, as the party principle is ruling in the
Duma, which means that deputies elected under party lists
and representing deputies- groups and factions are most
likely to vote as was decided by their factions. At present
none of the deputies- groups and factions of the Duma have
announced that they will refuse to vote for any of the presidential
drafts.
Based on Interfax reports.
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Yabloko and the Union of Right-Wing Forces
(SPS) support in general the initiatives of the government
on introducing a uniform rate of personal income tax at
a rate of 13%, as Deputy Head of the Yabloko faction Sergei
Ivanenko and Deputy Head of the SPS faction Viktor Pokhmelkin
informed journalists today.
According to Pokhmelkin, the SPS faction
supports the proposal of the Cabinet on a uniform rate of
personal income tax and shares the Cabinet-s opinion that
all able-bodies citizens should pay income tax.
Speaking about the social tax, Viktor Pokhmelkin
noted that the SPS cannot accept the introduction of a sliding
scale here. However, he stressed that the SPS will support
all other initiatives of the government referring to the
introduction of a single social tax. Deputy Head of the
Yabloko faction Sergei Ivanenko stressed that this is a
very complicated problem, and that the final position of
the Yabloko on a single social tax faction would be provided
at a later date.
Sergei Ivanenko also said that Yabloko
would vote for the initiatives of the government with regards
the social tax, provided that they don-t involve any deterioration
in the welfare of ordinary citizens. He also said that in
general Yabloko positively assesses the tax measures proposed
by the Cabinet, even though these measures are not as radical
as Yabloko had desired. The State Duma of the Russian Federation
will consider the amendments to personal income tax and
the introduction of a single social tax on its second reading
on June 2,2000.
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A group of leaders of the Yugoslavian democratic
opposition, represented by the Chairman of the Serbian Movement
for Renewal, Vuka Drashkovich, Chairman of the Democratic
Party of Serbia, Voisla Kostunitsa and Director-General
of the TV station Studio-B, Dragan Koyanovich, came to Moscow
on the invitation of Yabloko on May 29, 2000. The leaders
of the Yugoslavian opposition met with Deputy Head of the
Yabloko faction in the State Duma Sergei Ivanenko.
At a briefing after the meeting Ivanenko
said that "Yabloko expressed its resolute support for the
leaders of the democratic opposition in Yugoslavia. He also
expressed concern about present developments in this country
concerning freedom of speech and the punitive measures adopted
against the representatives of the Yugoslavian opposition.
The President and the Government of Russia should publicly
advocate compliance with human rights in Yugoslavia and
freedom of speech, so that people are able to freely express
their views without being afraid of the punitive bodies,¦
noted Ivanenko.
According to Ivanenko: a dangerous trend
has developed in Russia today, which is reminiscent of the
present developments in Yugoslavia. Speaking about the meeting,
V. Kostunitsa stressed that if Moscow continues to back
the regime of Slobodan Milosevic, Russia may lose its influence
in the Balkans.
He thinks that this is bad both for us
and Russia. In his turn Drashkovich stressed that Russia
exerts considerable influence over the situation in the
Balkans and, consequently, Russia-s vote is very important
for Serbia. Speaking about the situation in the Yugoslavia,
he noted that today the country lacks virtually all democratic
rights and freedoms, and that there is no constitutional
law. According to Drashkovich, today Yugoslavia urgently
requires Russia-s assistance.
I would be happy, if human rights in my
country were observed as they are observed in Russia, noted
Drashkovich. The leader of the Serbian Movement for Renewal
advocated new elections to the Serbian Parliament and the
election of a new President of the country. However, he
noted that there were doubts whether in the present circumstances
such democratic elections were at all possible, as no elections
are possible in a Gulag.
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