DUMA SEEKS TO REGAIN PARLIAMENTARY CONTROL OF GOVERNMENT.

On June 21, the Russian Duma approved three constitutional amendments that would allow the parliament to pass on the appointment of all of the so-called power ministers, allow no confidence votes on individual members of the government, and give the parliament the right to investigate the executive’s implementation of the country’s laws, Segodnya reported June 22. These proposed amendments face formidable obstacles–passage by the Federation Council and approval by a majority of the country’s 89 regions–before they can be added to the country’s basic law.

Council of Europe Honors Kovalev.