Both Chambers of Federal Assembly of Russian Federation Approved Law on Amendment to Constitution
11 March 2020
The Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation approved the law on amendment to the Constitution of the Russian Federation (Law on Improvement of Regulation of Individual Issues of Organization and Functioning of Public Authorities).
Speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko noted that the issue of amendment of the Basic Law is highly relevant.
The draft law was already approved by the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation: 383 members voted in favour of the document.
The document will be submitted for the consideration of the regional authorities. The Law on amendment will be adopted if two thirds of the regional parliaments support it. On 14 March 2020, the Federation Council will hold a session in order to approve the decision of the regions.
The Law expands the powers of the Russian parliament. The State Duma would be able to approve the candidate for the Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation, proposed by the President, as well as the candidates for Deputy Chairmen of the Government and federal ministers (except for the ministers coordinated directly by the President, including the security ministries) nominated by the Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation.
The draft Law suggests that the leadership of the federal executive authorities (including federal ministers) in charge of the defense and security, internal affairs, justice, foreign affairs, emergency, as well as prosecutors of the entities of the Russian Federation shall be appointed by the President of the Russian Federation after the consultations with the Federation Council. It is also proposed that the termination of the powers of the judges of the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court, judges of the cassation and appeal courts – if they perform acts detrimental to the honour and dignity of the judge – shall be attributed to the Federation Council.
The President shall also submit candidates for the positions of the Chairman of the Accounts Chamber and half of the total number of auditors of the Accounts Chamber to the Federation Council.
