The second plenary session of the so-called Congress of People’s Deputies of Russia began in Warsaw on Monday. It is reported by Idel.Realii. The main organizer of this structure is the politician and former State Duma deputy Ilya Ponomarev, who lives in Ukraine.
The congress brings together a number of former deputies of the State Duma of different convocations, as well as authorities of other levels. The participants in the meetings consider themselves legitimate bearers of Russian statehood, arguing that Russia’s official authorities have lost their legitimacy. The first “Congress of People’s Deputies of Russia” was held from 5 to 7 November in Jablonna near Warsaw. The congress adopted the “Founding Declaration and Act on the Resistance Movement, which established the legal principles of the fight against Putinism”, and also “approved the main directions of the constitutional reform.”
At the second congress, the delegates, as follows from the documents published on the website of the organizers, intend to adopt the “Revolutionary Act”, which abolishes the state of the Russian Federation, and instead proclaims the Russian Republic as its successor. “The Congress of People’s Deputies is the highest body of state power in the Russian Republic,” the draft says.
It is also planned to discuss the “Act on Peace, which will have to end the war, confirm the de-occupation of the annexed territories of Ukraine, including Donbass and Crimea” and the draft of the new Russian Constitution proposed by Ponomarev – it is generally based on the current Constitution, but limits the power of the president, as well as gives the subjects of the federation the right to self-determination up to secession. The draft also provides, for example, the introduction of an electoral qualification – the right to vote is supposed to be given only to taxpayers.
Participation in the work of the second congress, according to the organizers, “was confirmed by more than 60 deputies of various levels.” This figure is comparable to the number of delegates registered for the first congress. However, de facto, according to the observations of the correspondent of “Idel.Realii”, a little more than 20 participants took part in the procedures of the congress directly in the hall.
- The idea of the congress was criticized in opposition circles – the project was negatively commented, in particular, by associates of Alexei Navalny, representatives of the Russian opposition living in Poland and representatives of the League of Free Nations, which advocates the division of Russia into many national states. There is no evidence that any foreign states could recognize the “Congress” as a legitimate authority.
