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Russian President Signs Decree to Form State Council
Russian President Vladimir Putin Friday signed a decree "On the Russian State Council" to improve the coordination between the central authorities and territorial leaders and to strengthen the Kremlin's control over federal districts.
The decree, coming into force on the day of signing, provides for setting up the Russian State Council and adopts the regulations for its activity, said the Russian presidential press service.
The council's regulations affirmed by the decree stipulate that the new State Council is to be chaired by the president of the Russian Federation and will consist of the territorial leaders of the Russian Federation, who will work there without pay.
For the speedy solution of current issues, the State Council will form a presidium of seven members appointed by the president, who are subject to rotation twice a year. The presidium will meet as the need arises, but as a rule at least once a month.
The chairman of the State Council will appoint the time and place of meetings, as well as of the presidium. In addition, he will chair the meetings and set the plans for its work and the agenda for the next meeting upon consultations with the members of the presidium. He will give certain assignments to the members of the State Council and its secretary.
According to the regulations, the president will appoint a deputy head within his presidential administration as the secretary of the council, working without pay. The secretary, who is not one of the members of the State Council, will prepare the plans for work, the agenda, the materials for the sessions, and draft resolutions.
On the same day, Putin signed another decree to appoint deputy chief of the presidential staff Alexander Abramov as acting secretary of the State Council.
The council members will offer the presidium proposals on its work, agenda, and the order of discussions. They will take part in preparing the materials for the sessions or the draft resolutions. They have no right to delegate their powers to other persons.
"The State Council is a consultative body assisting the president to provide the smooth functioning of and interaction between the state powers," says the decree.
The main goals of the State Council are defined as the above-mentioned assistance and "the discussion of particularly important problems concerning relations between federal and regional administrations, the state structure, the bases of federalism, and proposals made to Russia's president," it reads.
The State Council will also consider, at the president's discretion, the drafts of federal laws and presidential decrees of general interest to the state and discuss basic personnel appointments and other important issues.
The council will hold meetings in the Kremlin regularly, once every three months as a rule. Special meetings may be called by the president. Meetings will be valid with a simple majority of members present.
The State Council will be an executive power body, performing consultative functions, Putin told the press Thursday, while visiting the Samara region.
The decree was initiated by governor of the Saratov region Dmitri Ayatskov and supported by Russia's regional leaders and State Duma (the lower house of parliament) deputies in May, after the president submitted a draft bill on the new principles for the formation of the Federation Council, the upper house, to the State Duma.
Under the bill, representatives of Russia's regional leaders rather than the leaders themselves will work in the Federation Council on a permanent basis.
The initiators of the decree urged regional leaders not to be completely deprived of involvement in the country's political life at the federal level, proposing to set up the State Council, a presidential consultative body comprising the regional leaders.
On May 22, Putin supported this proposal, pinning the foundation of the council to the adoption of a package of bills on reforming the state power.
In late July, Putin signed a directive approving of the proposals made by top-ranking officials from Russia's regions on establishing the State Council. The president recommended the chambers of the Federal Assembly to submit their proposals on the council's status and composition.
Meanwhile, Putin noted that the State Council should not be a substitution for the Federation Council, which currently has numerous functions of a non-legislative nature that the State Council could take on and "run efficiently."
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