The Public Chamber (In Russian: Общественная палата) is a state institution with 126 members created in 2005 in Russia to analyze draft legislation and monitor the activities of the parliament, government and other government bodies of Russia and its Federal Subjects. It has a role similar to an oversight committee and has consultative powers. A convocation of the chamber is in power for a two-year term.
[edit] Creation of the Chamber
The creation of the chamber was suggested by Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, on September 13, 2004, following the Beslan school hostage crisis.[1]
The Public Chamber was organized according to the federal law On the Public Chamber of Russian Federation (Full text in Russian: [1]), that had been approved by the State Duma on March 16, by the Federation Council of Russia on March 23, had been signed by the President on April 4, had been published on April 7 and had come into force on July 1, 2005.
According to the law, on September 30, 2005, the President selected 42 members of the chamber who were supposed to have distinguished merit for the state and society. In August Putin officially invited Yulia Gorodnicheva (b. December 16, 1985), an undergraduate student of Tula State University and one of the members of the pro-Kremlin youth group Nashi whom Putin had invited to a meeting at his residence in Zavidovo, Tver Oblast, on June 26, 2005, to become a member of the chamber[2], but she refused to be selected by the President and on November 15 entered the second part of the chamber. She became a member of the Commission on Social Development. [2] On November 15, 2005, the second part of the Chamber was organized as the first 42 members had elected 42 more deputies from All-Russia public associations. On December 23, 2005, These 84 members in turn elected 42 representatives of regional and interregional public associations (List of the members of the Public Chamber in Russian: [3]). To qualify for the procedures, public associations had to be registered as such at least a year before July 1, 2005.
The first session of the chamber was opened on January 222006. The chamber has been headed by Evgeny Velikhov, Secretary of the Public Chamber. He is a physicist, and a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
[edit] Members of the First Convocation
[edit] Selected by the President
[edit] Representatives of All-Russia public associations
[edit] Representatives of regional and interregional public assiociations
[edit] References and notes
[edit] External links
