DUMA APPROVES ANTI-CRIME BILL.

The Duma has passed legislationwhich defines and imposes criminal sanctions on a variety of activitiesassociated with organized crime, Itar-Tass reported July 13. Butthe bill also limits the number of law enforcement agencies andtheir subordinate parts which are to deal with organized crime.These latter provisions are intended to reduce the possibilitiesfor the corruption of the law enforcement apparatus itself. Butlocal police forces remain in trouble. Interior ministry officialsin many regions are not getting the money they need from Moscowand are turning to the local authorities, Krasnoye znamya reportedMay 12. Many are so short of funds that they cannot even makelong distance telephone calls, the paper noted.

Duma Passes Land Law.