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Lawmakers attack proposed stiffening of code |
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April 22, 2000
MOSCOW, APR 21 (AP) - A proposed new administrative code met stiff resistance in parliament Thursday with deputies across the political spectrum saying it boosts police powers and trims some civil liberties won after the Soviet Union's collapse.
"If we pass this, we lay the foundation stone of a totalitarian state," said Andrei Isaev, a deputy in the State Duma, the lower house of parliament.
A proposal expanding the authority of traffic police met particular criticism from lawmakers, who said that this branch of law enforcement is already notorious for abusing its powers and bribe-taking.
Communist legislator Anatoly Lukyanov said the traffic police proposal had been advanced by members of several parties, yet faction leaders of all parties spoke against the measure that would stiffen punishments for some moving violations to include jail stays.
Oleg Morozov, head of the Russia's Region's group, called the proposal "a tilt toward a police regime," the ITAR-Tass new agency reported.
Deputy Viktor Pokhmelkin, a leader of the liberal Union of Right Forces party, said the provisions would give police more chances to extort bribes from motorists eager to avoid arrest.
"This will only lead to a worsening of corruption," he said.
The new administrative code has thousands of provisions covering everyday life, such as parking and licensing of street trade. It specifies which officials can hand out punishment for which offenses.
But fines or imprisonment often apply only to those who cannot bribe their way out of trouble.
A 1998 U.S. State Department human rights report said Russian police sometimes keep people in jail for administrative offenses beyond the legal period in order to extort bribes.
The current administrative code dates from 1985 and a revision has been in the works for four years, resulting in a four-volume proposal that has received more than 3,000 amendments. Deputies gave preliminary approval to some sections Thursday but the contentious parts were to face more debate in coming weeks.
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