Duma starts first session after protests over alleged falsification of elex results

Описание: (21 Dec 2011)
1. Wide of Russian Duma (Parliament) session, deputies listening to national anthem, photographers taking pictures
2. Wide of deputies listening to national anthem
3. Close-up of Russian state emblem
4. Wide of deputies applauding
5. Mid of deputies conducting session
6. Mid of deputies, reverse shot
7. Wide of session
8. Mid of Vladimir Zhirinovsky, leader of Liberal Democratic party, speaking to media
9. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Vladimir Zhirinovsky, Leader of Russia's Liberal Democratic Party:
"Only the Supreme Court of the country can cancel the results of the election. It is the only authority (able to do it) in the entire world. Please, appeal, and we (people) appeal. If the Supreme Court makes a decision, we, of course, will obey. But we (deputies) cannot cancel the results by ourselves; there is a legal procedure so everybody who want to claim that (to cancel the results of election) has a right. We support them, but one should go to the authorities (Supreme Court). Unfortunately, the Supreme Court will not make that decision."
10. Wide of State Duma hall
11. Wide of exterior State Duma building, cars driving by
12. Mid of Russian flag on top of building
13. Mid of police vehicle, policemen
14. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Vox pop, Aleksander Lerygin, Moscow resident:
"If we have already chosen (the State Duma deputies), then I think there is no way back anyway. Nobody will cancel them (the results of the election). Why? Why should they? I have doubts that the government of our country would do that. And as for protests, well, people have protested many times, so it is unlikely that it will help and result in a cancellation (of the election results)."
15. Mid of policemen outside State Duma
STORYLINE:
The sixth State Duma, the lower house of Russia's Parliament, began its first session on Wednesday, just two weeks after parliamentary elections and following mass protests over alleged falsification of the results.
The protests followed the December 4 national parliamentary elections, in which Vladimir Putin's United Russia party lost a significant share of its seats in the State Duma, though it retained a narrow majority.
Opposition forces claim even that was unearned, supported by reports from local and international observers of widespread vote-count irregularities and outright fraud.
But in the Duma on Wednesday, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the leader of Russia's Liberal Democratic Party, said the Duma itself had no powers to annul the results of the election.
"Only the Supreme Court of the country can cancel the results of the election," he said, saying that there was a legal procedure that had to be followed.
"If the Supreme Court makes a decision, we, of course, will obey," he added, saying the deputies would support those who appealed, but he was pessimistic that the Supreme Court would annul the results.
Frustration has grown with the ruling United Russia party and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who has dominated Russian politics for over a decade.
But speaking outside the Duma on Wednesday, local man Aleksander Lerygin reflected the resigned mood of many.
"If we have already chosen (the State Duma deputies), then I think there is no way back anyway. Nobody will cancel them (the results of the election)," he said, adding that "people have protested many times, so it is unlikely that it will help."

Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter:   / ap_archive  
Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​
Instagram:   / apnews  


You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...