DECLARATION OF NIKOLAY KHRAMOV, RUSSIAN COORDINATOR OF THE RADICAL PARTY AND CHAIRMAN OF THE KHRAMOV'S CLUB - UNION FOR LIBERTARIAN REFORMS

Moscow, June 16 2000 - "Yesterday's statement of the speaker Stroyev concerning Putin's consent to reform the Council of Federation "step by step" means as a matter of fact that the Kremlin and governors achieved a final agreement on the new order of forming the upper chamber of the parliament - the order which has as little in common with the principle of sovereignty of the people declared by the Constitution as present principle of cooptation of the senators according to their position. I have always held, I hold now and I agree with the democrats of the "Yabloko" and the Union of the Right Forces (and also with Berezovsky!): Russian senate must be formed in an American way, on the basis of the direct general elections and the two-mandates election districts should coincide with the borders of the subjects of the Federation - as it was before already, from 1993 to 1995."