MOSCOW, March 20 (Itar-Tass World Service) —— Human rights activists will have a role of major reformers in the Big Government, the Kommersant writes. The newspaper publishes a specification, which reads that members of non-government organisations are to offer a plan of fighting corruption, violence in law enforcement authorities and of reforming the judicial system, which actually will become a manual for heads of core ministries. However, some members of the working group and experts doubt their recommendation would be effective.
Opposing human rights activists were invited in February to become participants in civil reforms under the new government, which Dmitry Medvedev is expected to head, the newspaper writes. Under the Big Government project there is a working group already, to where members in various human rights organisations have been invited. They include head of the Russia Imprisoned movement Olga Romanova, who has been participating actively in mass protests lately, leader of the Russian affiliate of Transparency International Elena Panfilova, former judge of the Constitution Court Tamara Morshchakova and others.
By April 13, the working group is to offer detail instructions for the government as to how to improve the situation with human rights in Russia. President Dmitry Medvedev expects from the human rights experts “a brief list of priority strategic projects with transparent results,” which the state structures are to achieve within two-three years.
The work will be structured in six directions: judicial system, fighting corruption, feedback from the society, improvement of law enforcement authorities, granting of election and political freedoms, and key economic rights. For example, the paragraph on Fighting Corruption suggests “organising of a special independent authority to fight corruption” and “organising of total control over top 1,000 officials.” Authors of the specification suggest the human rights experts thought about an institute of independent prosecutors and about amnesty of entrepreneurs.
The Kommersant’s source reports that for the working group those reports should in fact become instructions for the new government, which is expected to be headed by Medvedev. “As yet, it seems that in the project everyone is focused on result, and the entire council, including officials, confirms the system’s negative diagnosis,” the source said.
“Nobody could expect anybody to be writing anything detailed, but now many of my colleagues believe it a real window of opportunities. However, I myself am tired of ruined hopes,” Ella Panfilova said.