Deputy chief of the presidnetial executive staff Vladislav Surkov (left) and President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev at a meeting with leaders of the Duma factions in the Kremlin, August 11, 2008
Photo: Alexander Miridonov
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All Parties behind the Leaders
The parliamentary parties fully support Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s line in the Russian-Georgian conflict. The parliamentary party leaders met with Medvedev yesterday and thanked them “for showing responsibility, for a firm, consolidated position to support the decisions of Russian authorities that were made under such difficult conditions.”
The party leaders had a few things to say themselves. Speaker of the State Duma and head of the United Russia faction Boris Gryzlov opined that Georgia’s attack on South Ossetia “can be compared to Hitler’s attack on the Soviet Union.” “The idea of an international court is important,” he continued, “that would evaluate the actions of Mr. Saakashvili… He should sit in prison. There is no other place for him.” Speaker of the Federation Council and head of the Just Russia Party Sergey Mironov also compared Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili to Hitler and promised a parliamentary investigation into genocide in South Ossetia.
Communist deputy Duma speaker Ivan Melnikov, attending the meeting in place of vacationing party leader Gennady Zyuganov, said that the Communist Party had received many letters and telegrams from people who also called the Georgian President’s actions “fascistic.” LDPR leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky expressed the hope that Russia will do more to explain its position to the world.
After the meeting with the president, a special session of the Federation Council was held at which a “special message to the parliaments and peoples of the world” was adopted. It called Georgia’s attack on South Ossetia a “war crime” and suggested the creation of an international military tribunal to judge the actions of Georgia in regard to South Ossetia. A message to the foreign press was also planned requesting that it cease its informational war against Russia. There is no need to call an emergency meeting of the full federal assembly, Mironov noted, since there is no need for it approval of the forces in Georgia. “That is not as military contingent,” Mironov explained. “We have only increased the contingent of peacekeeping forces.”
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Aug. 12, 2008
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