MOSCOW, December 14 (Itar-Tass) —On Tuesday, for the first time after the elections and the protest actions rolling over the country President Dmitry Medvedev met with the leaders of the parliamentary parties. The president stated about the need “to continue the work for the reform of the political system” and urged to investigate thoroughly all complaints over the violations at the elections. The president instructed the parliamentary opposition to control the State Duma committees along with United Russia.
High on the agenda of the meeting was the parliamentary elections, which the mass media already described as the dirtiest in Russian history. The mass media blamed the Central Election Commission (CEC) and the United Russia Party for the rigging of the election results, the Nezavisimaya Gazeta writes. The president congratulated United Russia on the fact that the party gained a majority at the parliamentary elections, “Not all of us are satisfied with the election results, but it cannot be another way round.” Medvedev cheered up the interlocutors, noting that a substantial part of the State Duma committees should be controlled not only by United Russia, but also the system opposition, “I would like as the leader of the United Russia election list to take this into account.”
The sixth State Duma, which will have the first meeting on December 21, will have 29 committees instead of 32 previous committees, Chairman of the United Russia Supreme Council Boris Gryzlov said after the meeting, the Vedomosti reports. United Russia will chair 15 committees, the CPRF – six committees, Just Russia and the LDPR will chair four committees each. The State Duma Council will have not only the State Duma speaker and the vice-speakers as before, but the leaders of the factions and the chiefs of two groups of the United Russia faction.
The debates will become more heating in the sixth State Duma, but not because the opposition will head more committees, as United Russia will head the key economic committees, the newspaper cited political expert Alexei Makarkin as saying. Therefore, United Russia is feeling like the winner in the elections.
Dmitry Medvedev noted that he signed a decree to set the first meeting of the sixth State Duma on December 21. The president will deliver a state-of-the-nation address at the Federal Assembly on the next day, December 22, the Moskovsky Komsomolets notes. The most heating debates rose over the posts in the State Duma, the newspaper notes. Despite the loss of a substantial number of votes United Russia intends firmly to keep control over the State Duma Council, as this is the body, which decides on the issues to be put on the agenda.
In reply to a question whether United Russia will cede the post of the State Duma speaker to a representative of another party, Boris Gryzlov stated, “I am convinced that a United Russia representative will become the State Duma speaker. There cannot be another way round.” As for the posts of the chairmen of the committees, United Russia is ready to show generosity: from 29 committees, which will work in the sixth State Duma, they intend to pass the leadership in 14 committees to the opposition. Six committees will be passed to the Communist Party, Just Russia and the Liberal Democrats will head four committees each. United Russia will naturally retain the leadership in 15 committees.