#10
BBC Monitoring
Is independent parliamentary inquiry possible in today's Russia - observer
Source: Ekho Moskvy news agency, Moscow, in Russian 0000 gmt 28 Aug 03
Following British Prime Minister Tony Blair's appearance at Lord Hutton's
inquiry, analyst Andrey Cherkizov in his regular comment slot on Russian
Ekho Moskvy radio speculates on whether something similar is possible in
Putin's Russia. The following is the text of his comment, as carried by
Ekho Moskvy news agency on 28 August:
British Prime Minister Tony Blair is giving evidence to the independent
inquiry headed by Lord Hutton and is very worried.
Sky News reports that, appearing before the inquiry on Thursday, Blair said
that he knew nothing about Dr Kelly's involvement in drawing up the dossier
on weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Blair also said that if allegations
that the Iraq dossier was sexed up had been true, he would have resigned.
"If the allegation had been true, it would have merited my resignation,"
stressed the prime minister.
Now let's imagine that the Russian prime minister is giving evidence to an
independent inquiry and is very worried.
Now let's imagine that Russian President Vladimir Putin is giving evidence
to an independent inquiry and is very worried.
Now let's imagine that some minister or other is giving evidence to an
independent inquiry and is very worried.
We have imagined all that and understood that Russian leaders have nothing
to worry about. There are no independent inquiries in Russia; there are no
independent prosecutors in Russia; the Russian parliament does not have the
power to set up such an inquiry or to carry out such an investigation. Or,
to be more precise, it refuses to take on such powers.
All in all, Russia is not a country, it is a nursing home for leaders.
Someone shouts back at me, all worked up: "We have a completely independent
prosecutor's office. Even the president cannot get hold of the
prosecutor-general on the phone when he needs him."
The last few weeks, months and years have led certain Russian analysts to
describe employees of the Russian Prosecutor-General's office as "call
girls and even boys", but this is all fantasy, scheming and slander. The
prosecutor-general's office is good, the analysts are bad, selfish and
forever hatching plots.
The British public is all worked up and Blair's government seems to have
run into stormy waters. In fact, things are so bad that Tony himself [as
received] might end up having to resign.
Regardless of the consequences, this is being actively debated in the
British media.
Can you imagine Russian TV, radio and the press seriously debating the
potential resignation of the country's number one politician or its number
two, likewise, its number one or number chief designer?
In some cases they have done and still do so, answers my opponent like a snap.
True, but the public would immediately ask who has leaked the news and what
for?
In the Yeltsin era there were at least some mechanisms for the public to
investigate and influence matters, even if they were weak, sickly and
corrupt. Now we have nothing at all.
One by one, all the live analytical current affairs shows on television are
being axed, in fear they may say something unwanted. One after another,
newspapers are doing away with their investigative columns, in fear they
may write something uncomplimentary.
All's quiet as if in a cemetery. All is well, is it not?
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