The RF State Council – a consultative body under the President of Russia. Under the chairmanship of the latter examines the vital issues of national life.
The Chairman of the State Council is the President. Members of the State Council are ex officio senior officials (heads of higher executive bodies of the state power) of the Federation entities. The State Council meets four times a year and discusses the major challenges for the country.
On December 22 largely as a result of constant struggle and demands of the CPRF the meeting of the State Council was held dedicated to the improving the political system in the country. Gennady Zyuganov, the Chairman of the CPRF Central Committee, Head of the Communist Party faction in the State Duma, саму out at the meeting and inter alia said:
– Communists have prepared a program of anti-crisis measures, which was sent to all governors in all legislatures, all parties and movements and we insist our proposals to be considered.
In our view, the main instruments of democracy are, above all, honest elections and political dialogue.
I believe that our judicial system where judges are appointed and are answerable to nobody, is unable to democratize the political process, and serves as a baton. It is used against country citizens, preventing them from expressing their own opinion.
Without an open dialogue on the air, without competition between the programs and party leaders the normal political process is impossible. We invite all parties to a discussion on the modernization of Russia We are ready to open dialogue on the air of the central TV channels. This will be an objective, serious conversation about how we are to get out of serious crisis.
Without control from below the executive power cannot work. It is decaying and ruining. Today there is no such control, and we have to organize it.
We believe that the situation with the political system can be corrected, provided that the current State Council will take important decisions.
Ivan Melnikov, deputy chairman of the CPRF Central Committee, vice speaker of the State Duma, commented on the meeting of the State Council:
– Certainly, we welcome the fact that the president is willing to dialogue with the opposition on a number of respective problems. Some time ago, we were left alone with all our questions, and nobody was going to answer them. Now at least we hear and see the reaction. Even the only president’s phrase that the low turnout at the elections is a political problem, and there is no need in trying to give orders to the society, is worth undertaking the efforts. But neither can I say that all the answers that we receive, meet our demands. First of all, it concerns the elections. Many times at the State Council the idea was repeated that, once there were few claims in the court, then the opposition made sweeping declarations. But, first, the opposition physically fails the capacity to fill in the courts of claims, they are prepared gradually, and still more will come. Secondly, the main thing is that in the current situation the number of lawsuits can not serve as a measure of elections purity. Local elections are being rigged “under the rug”, while one can only go to the court with the fact that is “over the rug”.
The main report of Georgy Boos, the Governor of the Kaliningrad region, contained a number of incorrect assertions. For example, he spoke on behalf of the working group on preparation of the State Council, inventing a consensus on several issues, where such consensus failed. Also, he did not submit a number of initiatives on which had a common position three parties – the CPRF, the LDPR and “Just Russia”. There was rather an aggressive statement from the “United Russia”. If they have a desire to talk about democracy, one should bear in mind some of its canons. And when one of its leaders Boris Gryzlov said that, on the one hand, the “United Russia” will not allow destroying the existing system of the government reliance on parliamentary majority, and then spoke in favor of competition between all parties, – the questions aroused. For example, if the party in power is ready to recognize that a transfer of power can happen from the ruling party to another one? It turns out that it is not ready. And what for the competition is then? There is nothing said in our Constitution that the ruling party should deprive someone of something. This is pure manipulation when one tries to present the political struggle as almost an activity aimed at undermining the state and splitting of the society.