Below we've got another exclusive translation from RBK Daily, which our regular readers understand is almost amusingly pro-government news source from Russia which at times can help glean insights into Kremlin thinking. According to this latest piece, it seems like we should brace ourselves for a full-on assault of what's left of the besieged constitution of the Russian Federation. Original source link here.
A tsarist attributeRussians do not consider that the Constitution plays a particular role
A mere one fifth of Russians consider that the current Russian Constitution guarantees the rights and freedoms of citizens. A third of citizens assert that the Constitution does not play a significant role in the life of the country, «inasmuch as few reckon with it». Such are the results of a survey timed by the Levada-Center to coincide with the 15th anniversary of the adoption of the Fundamental Law of the country.
On 14--17 November, the Analytical Center of Yuri Levada (the Levada-Center) conducted a representative poll of Russians, the statistical error did not exceed 3%. 15 years ago to the question of whether the Constitution guarantees the observance of the rights and liberties of citizens, 12% of respondents answered positively. By the year 2007 this number had nearly tripled, having attained 31%. It looks like the electoral campaign to the Duma and the beginning of the presidential race forced Russians to remember about the main law of the country. But in the November survey of this year the number of Russians convinced that the Constitution helps to observe rights fell to 22%. If to a question about how whether the Constitution maintains some kind of order in the activity of the state, in the year 1997 affirmatively replied 20% of the respondents, then now -- 30%. 9% of the respondents in November never did determine their attitude towards the Constitution.
«The Constitution does not play a significant role in the life of the country, inasmuch as few reckon with it». To this question in the year 1997 affirmatively replied 45% of Russians. In this year, those disdainfully thinking about the Constitution became somewhat fewer -- 28%.
«Thus it historically evolved in Russia that the Constitution is considered an appendage of the tsarist power that doesn't obligate to anything, in so doing the tsar (secretary-general or president) is considered above the Constitution and can do anything at all with it», -- says president of the Institute of National Strategy Stanislav Belkovsky. Correspondingly, the attitude of Russians towards the constitution is a projection of the attitude towards it of the current power -- formally respectful.
«The Constitution -- this is like the Bible, if everything that's written there were to be carried out, then we would be living completely differently and would better have read the Fundamental Law», -- asserts plenipotentiary envoy of the government in judicial instances Mikhail Barshchevsky. In his opinion, the current power is not always consistent in relation to the Constitution. «President Dmitry Medvedev persistently calls for following the spirit and letter of the Constitution, while certain deputies, lobbyists of the siloviki, for example, are proposing to reduce the powers of the jury court during the examination of certain criminal cases, which, naturally, reduces the possibilities of power by the people», -- says Mr. Barshchevsky.
RUSTEM FALYAKHOV
12.12.2008
