THE DUMA AND THE COUNCIL….

Governors like Nazdratenko have much to do with the Duma’s approval of a government bill to remove regional chief executives and legislative leaders from their ex officio seats in the Federation Council, the upper house of parliament. Under the bill, the chief executive would nominate (and the regional legislature would confirm) one representative, and the regional legislature would select the other. The bill carried 302 (out of 450) votes in the second reading and 308 votes in the third–a lopsided victory, but maybe not lopsided enough. The bill now goes to the Federation Council, whose members may not want to vote themselves out of office. If the Council rejects the bill, the Duma may still send it to the president for signature by approving it again with a two-thirds majority–300 votes. The defection of a handful of deputies could turn victory to defeat.