The bill empowers officials to ban any public mass events two weeks before and two weeks after the vote.
Photo: Nikita Infantyev
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Duma Set to Infringe the Right to Rally
The Russian Duma has drawn up a bill tightening up rules of organizing rallies which would allow authorities to ban any mass meeting to prevent “unlawful actions”. Rallies and marches may be banned before or right after elections. Opposition leaders believe that the bill which clearly aims against Orange revolutions will backfire.
The new bill drafted by six deputies from major parties suggests amendments to the current law which will make it possible to outlaw any street protest. The draft gives authorities a right to ban mass events which have already been granted permission if there is factual information about “unlawful actions” planned at the event.
The bill also empowers officials to ban any public mass events two weeks before an election and two weeks after the vote. This is apparently aimed to prevent Orange revolutions which tend to start with mass actions of opposition against forged votes.
Finally, Duma deputies press for a longer list of people who would be banned from organizing mass meetings.
Vladimir Semago, a drafter of the bill, told Kommersant that its sole purpose is to “protect the society from being involuntarily drawn into protest actions.” As an example, Mr. Semago unexpectedly cited the 1991 coup street protests. The deputy argued that the bill is not aimed against opposition. “Representatives of all factions have signed on to this initiative,” he underscored.
Not all opposition leaders think so. Eduard Limonov, leader of the unregistered National Bolshevik Party, says “with these laws authorities trigger a civil war or revolution”. Limonov insisted that Russian constitution gives a right to rally. He promised that he would be “the first to come out and defy.”
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Jan. 19, 2007
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