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Putin introduces draft bill on creation of State Council to Russian parliament

The State Council will be headed by the Russian president. It will serve as an advisory body to the head of state

Russia's President Vladimir Putin Alexei Nikolsky/Russian Presidential Press and Information Office/TASS

Russia's President Vladimir Putin

© Alexei Nikolsky/Russian Presidential Press and Information Office/TASS

MOSCOW, October 15. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has introduced a draft bill on the status and formation of the State Council to the Russian State Duma (lower house of parliament). The bill also expands on the meaning of a united system of public governance, head of the State Duma Committee on State Building and Legislation Pavel Krasheninnikov told reporters on Wednesday.

"The draft bill of the federal law "On the State Council of the Russian Federation" has been put forward by the president to the Russian State Duma on October 14, 2020 within the second package of draft bills with the aim to implement the provisions of the updated Constitution," he said.

The State Council will be headed by the Russian president. It will serve as an advisory body to the head of state. The State Council will include the Russian Prime Minister, the Federation Council speaker, the State Duma speaker, the president’s chief of staff, and regional heads. Besides, representatives of political parties that have formed factions at the Russian State Duma, representatives of local governance bodies and others can be included on the Council if the president makes the corresponding decision.

The bill forbids people that have a foreign citizenship or a residence permit from forming part of the State Council, as well as those with accounts held at foreign banks.

In order to deal with the agenda of the council, the presidium of the State Council will be established. Its composition will be determined by the chairman. Besides, special commissions and working groups will be created in order to organize activity in specific spheres. Representatives of federal and regional government bodies, other state bodies, local governance bodies and organizations can form part of the commissions. Members of specific commissions do not have to form part of the State Council. The chairman and members of the State Council take part in its activity on a voluntary basis.

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