Sergey Mironov: A person without social posibilities does not work but goes down ...

"A person without social posibilities does not work but goes down," Sergei Mironov told journalists evaluating the work done by the Russian government. Our ministers give excellent data of population income, while 30 million citizens of Russia continue to live in humiliating poverty. I have various serious questions to our government.

Federation Council Chairman speaks in favor of introduction of amendments into nationalization law [RIA Novosti. - 27.02.2004]

MOSCOW, February 27 (RIA Novosti) - On Friday Sergei Mironov, chairman of the Federation Council (the upper house of the Russian parliament) stated to journalists that in the course of privatization a lot of mistakes were made in relation to enterprises of defense and industrial complex.

In his opinion, it is "necessary to introduce amendments into the law on nationalization being considered by the State Duma (the lower house of the parliament).

Keep oligarchs off Russian politics, calls Senate Speaker [RIA Novosti. - 27.02.2004]

MOSCOW, FEBRUARY 27 (RIA NOVOSTI) - Tycoons must not have the say-so in Russian politics, said Speaker Sergei Mironov of the Federation Council, parliament's upper house. He was addressing the media tonight after presidential hopeful Irina Hakamada announced she would bring a libel suit against him, and called the top prosecutor to launch libel proceedings.

Criminals were financing Miss Hakamada's campaign, alleged the Speaker as the two hopefuls met in pre-election debates on the government RTR television.

Federation Council Chairman advocates stricter control over formation of highest ussian judges' corps [RIA Novosti. - 27.02.2004]

MOSCOW, February 27 (RIA Novosti) - On Friday Sergei Mironov, chairman of the Federation Council (the upper house of the Russian parliament) stated to journalists that it was necessary to exercise stricter control over formation of the Russian highest judges' Corp.

The Federation council speaker stated that the Federation council approved composition of the Supreme Qualifying Collegium of judges, candidates for positions of chairmen of the highest courts (Supreme, Constitutional and Supreme Arbitration court) and that should not be a formal voting procedure.

Federation Council Speaker backs President's decision [RIA Novosti. - 24.02.2004]

MOSCOW, February 24th, 2004 (RIA Novosti correspondent) - Federation Council (upper house) Speaker Sergei Mironov has declared his support for the Russian president's decision to dismiss the government.

"The government has not fully implemented the president's policy," Mironov said in his comments on the president's decision.

Mironov speaks for soonest resolution of Russian population rights issue [RIA Novosti. - 24.02.2004]

MOSCOW, February 24, 2004. (RIA Novosti) - The issue of the Russian population's rights in the Baltic countries should be resolved before they join the European Union, together with the EU, said Sergei Mironov, the speaker of the Federation Council (upper house of the Russian parliament).

"There should be no double standards in this matter," he stressed. Mr. Mironov recalled that there is the European Convention on National Minorities, and it has to be fulfilled.

Mironov also pointed out that "a legal vacuum" should not be created in relations between Russia and the EU's new member states.

In Sergei Mironov's view, number of ministries to be cut by a third in a new government [RIA Novosti. - 24.02.2004]

MOSCOW, FEBRUARY 24. /RIA NOVOSTI CORRESPONDENT YELENA FEDOROVA/ -- The number of ministries will be cut by a third in the new Russian government, Sergei Mironov, head of the Federation Council (the upper parliamentary chamber), told reporters on Tuesday.

He does not know about the fate of "concrete figures" but believes that continuity in cabinet activity will be maintained. "The continuity will be preserved. There will be no absolutely new enrollment", he is sure.

The head of the Federation Council has called "absolutely pragmatic" the presidential cabinet-dismissal decision.

Russian senate speaker welcomes cabinet dismissal [ITAR-TASS. - 24.02.2004]

Moscow, 24 February: Federation Council Speaker Sergey Mironov has welcomed the president's decision to dismiss the government of the Russian Federation.

"The president of the Russian Federation assessed the work of the government as satisfactory," Mironov noted in an ITAR-TASS interview.

Lawmaker on human rights in Baltic states [RosBusinessConsulting. - 24.02.2004]

RBC, 24.02.2004, Moscow 15:14:37. Federation Council Chairman Sergey Mironov believes that Russia has instruments to settle the problem concerning the rights of the Russian speaking population in the Baltic states. He said that this issue should be solved together with the European community. There should be no double standards in the issue concerning human rights. He reiterated that the European convention on national minorities should not be violated.

Federation Council head backs Putin's decision to dissolve gov't [RosBusinessConsulting. - 24.02.2004]

RBC, 24.02.2004, Moscow 18:08:03. Federation Council Chairman Sergey Mironov has supported the decision of Russian President Vladimir Putin to dismiss the Russian government. Mironov told journalists that the President had evaluated activities of the government as "satisfactory".

Russian upper house speaker could become second in presidential race .[Argumenty i Fakty. - 24.02.2004]

The speaker of the Russian Federation Council, Sergey Mironov, who has been nominated a presidential candidate, is being expected to come second in the race, according to Argumenty i Fakty newspaper. The article notes that he expresses the position of the authorities on all the issues, and possibly during the meetings with the voters he will outline the Kremlin's plans for the next presidential term of Vladimir Putin ... The following is the text of article by Anton Dorogin, entitled "'Trial run' for Sergey Mironov" by Russian weekly Argumenty i Fakty on 18 February ... 

Seven years is too much for President [RBCTop. - 19.02.2004]

The proposal of the Legislative Assembly of the Ivanovo region to extend the Russian President’s term of office from four years to seven years is ill-timed, Sergey Mironov, Chairman of the Federation Council of Russia, told RBC TV. In his opinion, a 7-year term is too much.

“In the far future, the term of office of the Russian President will be extended to five years,” Mr. Mironov believes. In his opinion, this will give the President better opportunities for normal work, “without the need to prepare for new elections”. It will also create a time gap between parliamentary and presidential elections in Russia. Today, there was no need to change the Constitution, Mr. Mironov stressed.

Upper House should be elected by direct voting - Mironov [RIA Novosti. - 19.02.2004]

MOSCOW, February 19th, 2004 (RIA Novosti correspondent) - Federation Council (upper house) Speaker Sergei Mironov is coming out for electing senators by direct polls.

"I think we will switch over to direct elections of the Federation Council members," the speaker said in Moscow Thursday at an international conference, "Federation Council: Decade-Long Experience, Results and Prospects." At the same time, Mironov believes there is no reason to hurry. "Such crucial decisions need time," he said. "There is no need to change the routine of forming the upper house too often." Sergei Mironov positively assessed the work of the Federation Council in the past years. In his words, the upper house has recently stepped up its legislative efforts. According to the speaker, one of the Federation Council's priorities is "to increase the efficiency of regional legislative initiatives." He continued, "last year over 1,300 legislative initiatives came from the regions." "Unfortunately, only 46 such bills were enacted," he added.

Russian upper house speaker visits defence plant in Urals [Channel One TV. - 19.02.2004]

[Presenter] Another presidential candidate and speaker of the Federation Council [the upper house of the Russian parliament], Sergey Mironov, spent a day in Chelyabinsk today. He himself said that he had come not to campaign but to become more familiar with problems of local defence enterprises... [Mironov] If one is to talk about the defence sector, Chelyabinsk Region is the sector's leader. Of course, it is more than appropriate to talk about the sector's problems in the Urals, and if in the Urals, then in Chelyabinsk.

Gas dispute will not affect union with "fraternal" Belarus, says Russian speaker [ITAR-TASS. - 19.02.2004]

Moscow, 19 February: A dispute between companies over gas supplies will not prevent the fraternal peoples of Russia and Belarus from coming closer together, the chairman of the Federation Council, Sergey Mironov, told journalists today.

Upper House Speaker calls for changing foreign investment structure [RIA Novosti. - 18.02.2004]

MOSCOW, February 18th, 2004 (RIA Novosti correspondent Maria Balynina) - Speaker of the Russian Federation Council (upper house) Sergei Mironov believes that the structure of foreign investments channelled to Russia needs to be overhauled. He said this Wednesday at a session of legislators' council of the Russian upper house devoted to the legal framework of investment processes to the economy of the regions.

"It is well known that the so-called portfolio, or short-term investments are dominating today," he said.

Guide to contenders in Russia`s 2004 presidential election [BBC Monitoring International Reports. - 18.02.2004]

The following guide describes the campaigns, programmes and biographies of the seven contenders in the Russian presidential election:

... Sergey Mironov

Campaign Sergey Mironov, the speaker of Russia's upper house Federation Council, is a ubiquitous figure in Russian politics. Nominated for president by the Party of Life he has led since its creation in 2002, Mironov was obliged to collect 2.5m signatures to make his nomination valid since the party has no representatives in the lower house State Duma.

Upper House panel to discuss defence sector reform [ITAR-TASS. - 17.02.2004]

CHELYABINSK, February 17 (Itar-Tass) - The Committee on Defence and Security of the Federation Council (FC) upper house of the Russian parliament, at its visiting session here on Tuesday, is to discuss the problems of reforming the country's defence industry sector.

FC Speaker Sergei Mironov and directors of defence-industry enterprises, who have prepared proposals on refinement of legislation concerning the defence industry, will attend the committee's session.

Russia to destroy chemical weapons on time despite shortfall of funds [ITAR-TASS. - 16.02.2004]

Moscow, 16 February: Russia will comply with its obligations to destroy chemical weapons, Sergey Mironov, speaker of the Federation Council, has said with confidence.

At a news conference today he commented on a report which claimed that there is a R12bn shortfall of funds earmarked for the Russian programme for the destruction of chemical weapons until 2012. Mironov emphasized that in his capacity of permanent member of the Security Council he "understands the algorithm" of events.

Federation Council Speaker comes out for life imprisonment for drug dealers [RIA Novosti. - 16.02.2004]

MOSCOW, February 16 (RIA Novosti correspondent Maria Balynina) - Russian Federation Council Speaker, presidential candidate Sergei Mironov comes out for toughening of punishment for drug-dealing in Russia.

"Drug dealers should be sentenced to life imprisonment without the right of amnesty, regardless of the amount of drugs," Mironov told a press conference in Moscow.

Upper House Speaker against forming government on party basis [RIA Novosti. - 16.02.2004]

MOSCOW, February 16 (RIA Novosti) - Speaker of the upper house, Federation Council, Sergei Mironov has come out against forming the new government on a party basis.

"The government should be professional, and not party-based," he said at a press conference in Moscow on Monday. Mironov is one of the seven registered presidential hopefuls. The poll is due on March 14.

Sergey Mironov: Government effots to make Russian economy an innovative one had no success ...

Presenting yesterday in Moscow his presidential campaign agenda to regional RPL representatives, the Chairman of the Russian Party of Life Sergei Mironov stated that we should substitute raw materials economy for an economy of knowledge.

PRESS CONFERENCE WITH CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENCY SERGEI MIRONOV [INTERFAX, FEBRUARY 16, 2004]

Mironov: Good morning. I would single out three main areas in my program of a presidential candidate. First, I believe that at present our country, Russia, before our economy dramatically improves, we should as a matter of priority solve the main social problems of Russian citizens, namely, higher wages, higher pensions, higher government grants to students. Of course, it would seem more logical to tackle social problems as the economy develops. Unfortunately, the degree of impoverishment of the population is such that unless these problems are tackled immediately the question of achieving economic recovery will become irrelevant because there will be no one left to benefit from it.

And this may be the right moment to ask the question, where will the money come from? Because one can issue many well meaning calls, but money is always the stumbling block. Back in the fall during the election campaign for the Duma, the economists of the Russian Party of Life made calculations and they are set forth in the Economic Program of Practical Actions published in book form. And we show that an extra 1.9 trillion rubles can be added to the budget every year. 500 billion rubles is a three-tiered market mechanism of collecting the natural rent. This is a much discussed topic and the subject of a lot of populist rhetoric, but there are few practical proposals.

According to Mironov, use of military personnel abroad will be determined by senators in the interests of Russia [RIA Novosti. - 14.02.2004]

MOSCOW, 14 February. /RIA Novosti/. While laying flowers on behalf of the upper house of the Russian parliament to the monument to army personnel perished during military operations abroad Sergei Mironov, speaker of the Federation Council stated that the decision to use Russian armed forces abroad would be responsibly taken by senators in the interests of Russia and they would always remember that "life of any soldier, any citizen, any son of the Fatherland was invaluable."

The ceremony took place on Saturday in the city of Krasnogorsk (Moscow region) on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of withdrawal of the Soviet military contingent from Afghanistan.

Russian upper house speaker denies being Putin`s chosen successor [ITAR-TASS. - 13.02.2004]

Udomlya (Tver Region), 13 February: During his visit to the Kalinin nuclear power station in Tver Region today, the chairman of the Federation Council and Russian presidential candidate, Sergey Mironov, rejected suggestions that Vladimir Putin had chosen him as his successor.

Russia to retain South Kurils: Senate Speaker [RIA Novosti. - 11.02.2004]

MOSCOW, FEBRUARY 11 (RIA Novosti) - Japan is drafting yet another option to settle the South Kuril issue, says recent news from Tokyo. The matter may imply a deliberate information leak, assumes Speaker Sergei Mironov of the Federation Council, the Russian parliament's upper house.

As the media are presenting the latest option, Japan consents to Russia retaining Iturup, the largest of the disputed islands and one of strategic importance, while Japan will get back the three others - Kunashir, Shikotan and Habomai. Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced the information in an official statement.

Rybkin’s explanations of disappearance inarticulate [ITAR-TASS. - 11.02.2004]

MOSCOW, February 11 (Itar-Tass) -- Russian Federation Council speaker Sergei Mironov has described presidential candidate Ivan Rybkin’s explanations concerning his sudden and strange disappearance from home and the political scene for several days as “inarticulate.”

“When it comes to serious state affairs there should be no place for a circus clown show,” Mironov, also contesting the presidency, said Wednesday.

Federation Council head urges cutting government personnel [RosBusinessConsulting. - 11.02.2004]

RBC, 11.02.2004, Moscow 13:32:40.

Federation Council Chairman Sergey Mironov has supported a proposal on substantial cuts in the state machine under ongoing administrative reforms. Yesterday, this proposal was made by Deputy Prime Minister Boris Alyoshin who is in charge of the administrative reforms.

"The fact that the number of functionaries is now greater than it was in the Soviet Union is not fair", Mironov said.

Rybkin's disappearance will not effect campaigns [RIA Novosti. - 10.02.2004]

MOSCOW, February 10, 2004 (RIA Novosti correspondent Maria Balynina) - The disappearance of Ivan Rybkin, a presidential candidate and former Duma speaker, will have no effect on the election campaign, Sergei Mironov, the chairman of the Federation Council (the upper chamber) and a presidential candidate, told journalists on Tuesday.

"In any case, I consider it too early to rush to conclusions," he said.

CEC approves ballots for Russia presidential elections [ITAR-TASS. - 10.02.2004]

MOSCOW, February 10 (Itar-Tass) - The Russian Central Election Commission approved on Tuesday the text of ballot papers for voting in the presidential election scheduled for March 14.

The first on the list of candidates is Sergei Glazyev of the Rodina faction in the State Duma, the Russian parliament’s lower house.

A State Duma deputy nominated by the Liberal Democratic Party, Oleg Malyshkin, and Federation Council Speaker Sergei Mironov, the chairman of the upper house, continue the list.

CEC to draw lots among presidential runners for free airtime [ITAR-TASS. - 09.02.2004]

MOSCOW, February 9 (Itar-Tass) - The Central Election Commission (CEC) of Russia on Monday will carry out a lots drawing procedure for free airtime to be provided by state-run television and radio companies for presidential candidates’ electioneering.

Seven candidates to take part in Russian president election [ITAR-TASS. - 08.02.2004]

MOSCOW, February 8 (Itar-Tass) - There will be names of seven candidates on voting papers in the Russian presidential election of March 14, 2004.

The names will come in the alphabetic order. Sergei Glazyev, co-chairman of the Rodina (Homeland) faction, will come first. Duma deputy from the Liberal Democratic Party Oleg Malyshkin will go second, and Federation Council Speaker, self-nominated candidate and leader of the Russian Party of Life Sergei Mironov will go third. President Vladimir Putin will go fourth. Head of the Regional Public Foundation for the Russian Language Development as Means of Inter-Ethnic Communication Ivan Rybkin will go fifth. Former co-leader of the Union of Right Forces Irina Khakamada and Communist Party deputy Nikolai Kharitonov will follow.

EU lawmakers should be shown blasted coach to understand Chechnya [ITAR-TASS. - 08.02.2004]

ST.PETERSBURG, February 8 (Itar-Tass) - It would be useful for deputies of the European parliament to have a look at the blasted coach of the Moscow Metro. This would help them to assess correctly the situation in Chechnya, speaker of the Federation Council upper chamber Sergei Mironov said on Sunday at a press conference in St. Petersburg at the Itar-Tass regional office.

Russian parliament speaker backs Putin`s abstention from TV debates [Ekho Moskvy news agency. - 08.02.2004]

[No dateline, as received]

Federation Council chairman Sergey Mironov believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin's refusal to take part in TV debates is justified. He told this to Ekho Moskvy radio in St Petersburg, "He [Putin] has a lot of work, almost every day we see a president who does his duty: holds international meetings, makes trips to regions, sees the government's members," Mironov said. "Thus, the president - Russian presidential candidate is present in the Russian media".

Sergey Mironov: Regions should get investment for advanced scientific projects [working session of "Intellectual resources of Russia" National Committee - 07.02.2004]

My core position is that development of the Russian science should be closely connected to regional policy, said the RPL leader Sergei Mironov in Arkhangelsk while discussing with the local intellectual community the state policy in scientific sphere.

Scientific centers are to be developed not only in capital cities - there is enormous potential in the regions and we can take advantage of it just now,stressed the RPL presidential candidate . The time of intellectual economy development has come. We want regions to get investment not only for foreign food companies' subsidiaries but for super modern scientific projects.

Aliyev on Russian, Azeri MPs cooperation [RIA Novosti. - 06.02.2004]

MOSCOW, February 6, 2004 (RIA Novosti) - Mutual visits by Russian and Azeri parliamentarians will boost interaction between the two countries. Azeri President Ilkham Aliyev expressed this opinion at a Moscow press conference on Friday after meeting Speaker of the Russian Federation Council Sergei Mironov.

The president told journalists that he invited Mironov to visit Azerbaijan once again.

Federation Council to propose boosting allocations anti-terrorist measures [RIA Novosti. - 06.02.2004]

MOSCOW, February 6, 2004 (RIA Novosti correspondent Marina Balynina) - The Russian Federation Council, or the upper house of parliament, may advance an initiative to earmark more funds in the 2004 budget on pre-emptive measures against terrorist acts, Federation Council Speaker Sergei Mironov said in a RIA Novosti interview on Friday.

In 2002, the Federation Council proposed to boost budgetary allocations to law-enforcement agencies by 3 billion rubles in 2003, recalled Mr Mironov. The upper house advanced this proposal after the hostage siege in a Moscow theatre.

Federation Council Speaker offers condolences to relatives of Moscow explosion victims [RIA Novosti. - 06.02.2004]

MOSCOW, February 6, 2004. (RIA Novosti) - Chairman of the Russian Federation Council Sergei Mironov has described the explosion in the Moscow metro as "an act of misanthropy".

"This misanthropic act testifies that there is no more horrible threat today than terrorism," reads Mironov's statement received by RIA Novosti.

"Yet another terrible crime has been committed. At that time thousands of Muscovites were hurrying to work, and the underground was full of people," the document reads.

Politicians comment on a deadly blast on a Moscow metro train [RosBusinessConsulting. - 06.02,2004]

Politicians comment on a deadly blast on a Moscow metro train. The explosion happened between the stations Avtozavodskaya and Paveletskaya on Friday morning, killing more than 30 people and injuring about 150 people.

In connection with the incident, Russian President Vladimir Putin called on the international community to unite efforts in the fight against terrorism. Mr. Putin made this statement at a meeting with Azeri President Ilham Aliyev on Friday. For his part, Mr. Aliyev expressed deep condolences to the relatives of those killed in the deadly blast.

Aliyev meets with Federation Council speaker [ITAR-TASS. - 06.02.2004]

MOSCOW, February 6 (Itar-Tass) - Speaker of Russia's Federation Council upper house of parliament Sergei Mironov and Azerbaijani President Ilkham Aliyev stated on Friday that success in fighting terrorism could only be achieved through joint efforts.

"Our positions are absolutely unanimous, it is only in joint confrontation that we'll be able to eradicate terrorism, the plague of the 21st century," Mironov told reporters after a meeting with Aliyev.

Fourth candidate registered for Russian presidential elections [RIA Novosti. - 06.02.2004]

MOSCOW, February 6, 2004. (RIA Novosti) - The Russian Central Election Commission has registered a fourth candidate for the country's president to be elected on March 14th. On Friday the Commission unanimously endorsed the candidacy of Sergei Mironov, speaker of the Federation Council (the upper chamber of the Russian parliament).

Mironov was nominated by the Russian Party of Life founded last year. He submitted to the Commission the necessary 2.5 million of voters' signatures in his support. According to the Commission's member, it randomly checked 600,000 signatures and only 31,000 out of them, a little over 5 percent, were found invalid or unauthentic.

CEC registers Sergei Mironov candidate for presidency [ITAR-TASS. - 06.02.2004]

MOSCOW, February 6 (Itar-Tass) -- The Russian Central Election Commission has registered Sergei Mironov a candidate for presidency on Friday.

Mironov, a leader of the Russian Party of Life that nominated him candidate, is a fourth officially registered candidate in the presidential elections due on March 14.

Russian presidential campaign triggers new criminal case [ITAR-TASS. - 06.02.2004]

MOSCOW, February 6 (Itar-Tass) -- A Moscow district prosecutor launched a criminal case in connection with suspected fraud of signatures in support of a potential candidate at the presidential election on March 14.

The case was instituted after a check launched upon an initiative of the Central Election Commission, the office of the prosecutor said Thursday. It added a suspect has been detained.

Mironov to be registered as presidential candidate on February 6 [RIA Novosti. - 03.02.2004]

MOSCOW, February 3, 2004. (RIA Novosti) -- Federation Council Speaker Sergei Mironov told journalists he would be registered as a presidential candidate on Friday February 6th.

Mironov hopes to receive candidate’s certificate on February 6 [ITAR-TASS. - 03.02.2004]

MOSCOW, February 3 (Itar-Tass) - Sergei Mironov nominated candidate for Russian presidential elections, to be held on March 14, hopes to receive the candidate’s certificate from the Russian Central Electoral Commission on February 6. The speaker of the Federation Council upper house of parliament nominated for presidency by the Russian Party of Life he heads stated this to reporters on Wednesday.

Mironov believes the Central Electoral Commission conducts “a strict but objective verification of signatures” so he is not worried about the sign-up lists in his support. The speaker of the Federation Council said the party itself double-checked the lists, in the regions and in Moscow, before referring them to the Central Electoral Commission.

Russian presidential candidates` finances made public [ITAR-TASS. - 03.02.2004]

Moscow, 3 February: The Central Electoral Commission [CEC] today published information about the amount of money on the presidential candidates' electoral accounts. According to the Russian Saving Bank, by 28 January the candidates had received R26,552,000, of which R11,585,000 had been spent on the election campaign.

Russian upper house speaker delimitates duties between deputies [ITAR-TASS. - 03.02.2004]

Moscow, 3 February: The chairman of the Federation Council [the upper chamber of the Russian parliament], Sergey Mironov, has delimitated duties between deputy speakers, he told journalists today. He signed a resolution according to which Deputy Speaker Aleksandr Torshin is to coordinate legal issues, Mikhail Nikolayev - social issues, Svetlana Orlova - economic issues and Dmitriy Mezentsev - the issues of information, youth, sport and natural resources. Orlova and Mezentsev were elected deputy speakers last Wednesday [28 January].