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LDPR not to support economic amnesty

Liberal Democratic Party will not give a single vote for such amnesty as long as the resolution proposes to amnesty those convicted for fraud

MOSCOW, June 26 (Itar-Tass) - The Liberal Democratic Party faction at the State Duma lower house of the Russian parliament will not support the resolution on amnesty for economic crimes, LDPR leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky told a news conference on Wednesday.

"We won't support the amnesty," Zhirinovsky said, "the president says: we won't set the fraudsters free. They put Article 159 in the resolution on amnesty, that is, they are deceiving the head of state."

The LDPR will not give a single vote for such amnesty as long as the resolution proposes to amnesty those convicted for fraud.

Meanwhile, deputy State Duma speaker from the LDPR Igor Lebedev made it clear on Tuesday that the Party might support amnesty because "business persons should work and pay taxes; /they/ shouldn't stay in prison."

The draft resolution on amnesty for persons convicted for economic crimes was submitted to the lower house of the Russian parliament by President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday. A dedicated committee recommended it for approval at the next session on July 2.

The document names the Criminal Code articles to which the announced amnesty applies. It will not apply to those who committed violent crimes or crimes with threats of violence. "Also, the persons sentenced for economic crimes together with other offenses - not covered by the amnesty -- will not be eligible," head of the State Duma dedicated committee Pavel Krasheninnikov explained.