TRANSCRIPT

of the meeting of the Council of the State Duma

of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation

September 13, 1999

Presided over by Gennadiy Seleznyov

Gennadiy Seleznyov

Hello, dear colleagues!

Our Press Service requests that we allow cameras in for two minutes for protocol filming. Any objections? Please, Viktor Ivanovich, let them in then.

(Protocol filming is in progress)

Dear colleagues! Today is a day of mourning in Russia. Let us also begin our meeting by honoring the memory of all those who died in Dagestan and Moscow.

(A minute of silence)

Please, be seated.

As you can see, the agenda for our first Council meeting of this session is enormous. But I think we need to exchange views now regarding tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. It seems we will have to make certain adjustments to the previously proposed Rules of Procedure. Therefore, you see that the first day mainly provides for the consideration of the legislative program for this session tomorrow.

But I think we will now exchange views on what adjustments to make, and how to structure tomorrow's meeting of the State Duma in general. We will, of course, need to hear a report on the situation in connection with the events in Dagestan and the terrorist attacks in Moscow. We will need to decide on the timing. The Chairman of the Government will only appear tomorrow at two o'clock. He has flown out, but it's a day's journey from there and there's an eight-hour time difference. I spoke with his secretariat; they said they are meeting him tomorrow at two.

Therefore, let us now exchange views. Perhaps we —

September 13, 1999

Gennadiy Seleznyov

Here is another message being passed. According to a report from Rostov-on-Don, a residential building was blown up in the city of Volgodonsk tonight.

Vladimir Zhirinovsky

And there is a nuclear power plant in Volgodonsk.

Sergei Ivanenko

Of course, it is absolutely impossible to delay, to show such cowardice in this situation, and I will call it nothing else. It is simply indecent for a country that is at war, and for the authorities, who must respond appropriately to the moment.
Regarding responsibility, I want to tell Mr. Zhirinovsky that he should have voted for impeachment and not mess around. For impeachment over Chechnya.
(Noise in the hall).
As for tomorrow's meeting, I believe it is necessary to schedule from 10:00 to 14:00 the issue of the situation in the North Caucasus and terrorist acts in the Russian Federation. On this issue, it seems to me, we can hear information from the Minister of Defense, the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Director of the FSB, and exchange opinions. The leaders of the factions will speak. Without predetermining what documents we will adopt. Because right now it is still too early to talk about being able to do something substantive. If we manage to make a good resolution, then good, we will adopt it tomorrow. If not, then not.

Gennadiy Seleznyov

I also want to hear from the chairmen of the defense and security committees.
Roman Semyonovich, please.

Roman Popkovich

Dear colleagues, the first thing I want to say is that I strongly urge all faction leaders and everyone else, when we discuss the situation in Dagestan and so on, to take a very balanced approach to what you say. There, in Dagestan, the military and everyone else are precisely afraid that in our debates we will move away from the main question of what we need to do there, how to finish this whole business, and return again to clarifying relations with each other.