APN

July 18, 2000

449 State Duma Deputies are willing to follow Berezovsky

One of the reasons Boris Berezovsky gave up his seat in the State Duma is his awareness: the lower house in the parliament will not exist any longer in 6-7 months with its composition and appearance as it has now, a presidential source told APN.

Following the Federation Council, according to the source, the Duma will be expected to be reformed also: within the program of reorganization of the political system of the country the deputies will approve a new procedure to form the houses according to which not more than one third of its members will be elected through party lists and not less than 2/3 ó?" through majority districts. In addition, the deputies will be deprived of immunity that will bring no sense to influential businessmen to continue to be members of the deputy corpus.

That`s why, the source thinks, Berezovsky chose a destiny which will befall all the deputies in six months, with making cause for a powerful informational campaign. Thus, one can suggest, that the tycoon leaving the parliament, was guided just by pragmatic considerations.