"The structure of the State Duma has been ever closer to that in developed European countries: two thirds of the bills are put forward by the executive and one third by deputies," noted Gryzlov.
As to faction leaders' feedback as regards consideration of bills, they view the procedure as quite democratic, said Gryzlov. All the bills, he continued, are adopted by 300-370 votes (there are 450 deputy mandates, in all), which consolidates the work of the Duma.
The Duma Speaker also reported that the lower chamber has been constantly in touch with the government, their experts working together over the zero reading of a bill before its being submitted at the Duma.
In the opinion of Gryzlov, the Duma of the fourth convocation operated with a greater effect than the previous dumas. The 100-day period has already seen deliberations on 475 bills, the adoption of two constitutional and 30 federal laws and the first or second reading of more than 50 bills, he said.
The Speaker also pointed out that the current Duma has inherited from the previous one a big portfolio-1,600 bills, with many of them having already become obsolete.
Among the new bills, 46 have been submitted by the United Russia faction, 12 by the Rodina faction, six by the Liberal Democrats and five by the Communists.
Boris Gryzlov has declared against any reduction in the number of Duma committees. The Rodina faction leader Dmitry Rogozin suggested cutting the number of the Duma committees from 23 to 17 as well as the number of vice-speakers after the pattern of the recently-held government restructuring with only one vice-premier left.
Gryzlov finds this untimely.
On April 16 this Friday, the State Duma will consider the Rodina faction's proposal. The Speaker reported about the planned redundancy of 335 Duma office functionaries until the first of July, thus bringing the lower chamber's staff to about 1,500 people.
