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Russian lawmaker urges consolidated daylight saving time bill

"I believe the health of the nation and the economic losses we suffer should be above political preferences," the lawmaker noted

MOSCOW, October 9 (Itar-Tass) - Head of the committee for health protection under the State Duma lower house of the Russian parliament Sergei Kalashnikov (Liberal Democratic Party) offered the authors of the initiatives to return "winter time" to pass a consolidated bill.

"All possible methods are used in confrontations between political parties; they have political ambitions of their own and so on. But there are matters which are outside political struggle. I believe the health of the nation and the economic losses we suffer should be above political preferences," Kalashnikov said during a routine ten-minute statement ahead of the parliament session on Wednesday morning.

"I'm urging the parliament to rise above party ambitions in the daylight saving bill issue, above the wish to spite somebody and adopt a normal balanced law," Kalashnikov stated.

"Of course, it's unthinkable for four bills (currently under review in parliament) to be considered as alternatives, especially because none of them can qualify as objectively effective," the lawmaker went on. In this connection, he offered all the authors to consolidate the proposed initiatives into one law and bring it forward together.

He also urged all the parliament faction leaders to "prove that there is real democracy in the State Duma and let the voting (on this legislation) proceed as one's conscience dictates."

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