MOSCOW, December 17. /TASS/. New authorities of the Russian parliament increase the significance of its members’ work and lawmakers’ responsibility for the work of government, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at his annual news conference on Thursday.

When asked how the 2021 election to the State Duma (the lower house of parliament) would differ from the previous election, Putin said, "As for the election to the country’s parliament in 2021, certainly there will be some differences. First and foremost, what they involve is that we have approved amendments to the constitution, which means that the parliament was given more authorities in a wide range of fields, including the formation of the government of the Russian Federation."

"Now, the State Duma actually decides not only on the prime minister, but also on ministers and deputy prime ministers. The president must sign those personnel decisions that the parliament passes. That considerably increases the significance of the work of the members of parliament, their responsibility to the country, including for the work of government. To my mind, this link between the parliament and the government is extremely important," the president pointed out.

The next election to the State Duma will be held on the single voting day on September 19, 2021. Earlier, Chairwoman of the Russian Central Election Commission Ella Pamfilova voiced hope that next year would be successful for the country’s electoral system "in terms of ensuring reliable results, fairness and free elections.".