Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, welcomes parliamentary faction leaders, October 4, 2006. Background from left to right: Motherland leader Alexander Babakov, People's Patriotic Union Homeland leader Sergei Baburin, leader of Liberal Democratic Party Vladimir Zhirinovsky, and Parliament Speaker Boris Gryzlov
Photo: AP
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Vladimir Putin Accepted in the Parties
// As their leaders are recruited into the anti-Georgian militia
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with leaders of the Duma factions yesterday and made them responsible for holding the frontline of the attack on Georgia. Kommersant special correspondent Andrey Kolesnikov thinks that the parliamentarians will at least be able to cover the troops when they take such strategic points as the Kristall and Golden Palace casinos.
The State Duma was represented at the meeting by speaker of the Duma and leader of United Russia Boris Gryzlov, deputy speaker Vladimir Zhirinovsky, Rodina leader Alexander Babakov and deputy speaker Sergey Baburin. The Kremlin invited Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov, as it always does, but he was in Astrakhan on business and decided to send Ivan Melnikov in his place rather than come back for the meeting with the president. Zhirinovsky was visibly pleased by Zyuganov's absence, probably as he calculated the amount of extra time on the television news would go to him with one less newsmaker present.
The president began the meeting by praising the accomplishments of the Duma's spring season this year, the “dacha amnesty” in particular (“This was something we had been discussing for a long time, and the decision was finally taken.”), and the five roundtables they held and the control they exercised over national projects. The parliamentarians glowed with satisfaction.
But that was just a warmup.
“We will, of course, speak in detail about international affairs,” the president continued. “I will be happy to hear your thoughts and recommendations on those problems.” Putin made it clear that all peaceful, or not so peaceful, measure they think of should be proposed to him, and that they were about to learn what measures they should think up to propose.
“I am grateful for the supportive action of the executive authorities to protect the rights and lives of our citizens abroad,” Putin said. “This kind of consolidation of our public forces has the clear support of the majority of our people and will help us to protect the rights of our citizens in foreign countries both near and far. Naturally, these words apply in this case to Georgia, and I would not advise anyone to speak with Russia using the language of provocation and blackmail.”
Kommersant has learned that the president at this point had intended to say that it was the firm position of Russian authorities that led to the freeing of the four Russian officers arrested in Georgia. He may have changed his plans to avoid mentioning the constructive role the United States played in resolving the crisis as well. “I note here that the national consensus on the most important international issues is one of the main supports for Russia's foreign policy,” he said instead.
Shifting gears slightly, the president said, “Incidentally, as you know, the law enforcement agencies are currently carrying out checks on people suspected of being involved in illegal activities, and a number of gambling establishments have come to the Interior Ministry's attention. This is a good opportunity to come back to this problem in general – the problem of the gambling business. Like the spread of alcoholism among the population, this is something that also has serious moral and sometimes material consequences.” His mention of the police action against the casinos came several minutes before that information reached the news agency wires. He went on to say that he had a draft law to present to the legislators to ameliorate the situation.
He concluded with a few words on immigration, noting that “We must ensure that our citizens do not feel that their own rights, their own participation in the labor market, are being infringed on in certain sectors of the economy and in certain other areas.”
The meeting took over two hours and a press conference was held afterwards. Gryzlov with controlled indignation informed the audience that some foreign citizens were coming to Russia to work, “including from Georgia, without registering as workers!” Therefore, it is necessary to make “big changes [to legislation] to guarantee the national security of Russia.” The parliamentarians would give the president special authority to guarantee that security. “Russian citizens are being squeezed out of markets and trading points!” Gryzlov huffed. It is “necessary to guarantee the right of Russian citizens!”
Casinos will suffer most. Gryzlov announced the formation of four territories “free from human habitation” where that industry will be concentrated under new laws. This is likely the death knell of the casino business, as the president, who was responsible for that business in St. Petersburg when he worked in the mayor's office, must understand.
The process for transferring money from Russia to Georgia would become more difficult. “Citizens sending money will have to present documents showing where they got it,” Gryzlov explained. “And the recipient has to be accounted for too. In France, you have to present a document every two months to show you are alive. If you're alive, you get a pension.”
“The president has urged us to learn the lesson of Kondopoga,” Babakov said, referring to the recent ethnic unrest in Karelia. Apparently that lesson is that there is no unrest where there are no ethnics.
“Just try to sell products from another country at the market in Paris!” Zhirinovsky explained.
“We have been too kind,” Babakov continued.
“Was there any disagreement on the issues you discussed?” I asked. “Or are you know a united front?”
“A united front!” Gryzlov answered.
A reporter asked when the sanctions against Georgia would end. “That wasn't discussed,” Zhirinovsky answered.
Someone asked where Zyuganov was. “He's sick!” Zhirinovsky answered. “Seriously ill. Maybe terminally.”
“I spoke to him,” Gryzlov mumbled. “He is talking on the phone.”
“Still,” Zhirinovsky inserted.
“I want to say,” said Gryzlov, “that all of my sharply-worded statements apply to Saakashvili's clique and not to the Georgian people. We will use Georgia as an example that joking with Russia by offending its citizens is impermissible.”
He expressed the most important idea of the press conference at that moment. As usual, it wasn't his own.
Andrey Kolesnikov
All the Article in Russian as of Oct. 05, 2006
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