From The Moscow Times:
As Quietly as Possible: Premium on Secrecy as Russia Rams Through Military Draft Rules Bill
Updated with Putin's signing of the law.
This article was corrected to clarify that the bill to which the amendments were added had passed its second reading once before, and that, for Russian laws to come into force, they need to be officially published.
As Quietly as Possible: Premium on Secrecy as Russia Rams Through Military Draft Rules Bill
Updated with Putin's signing of the law.
This article was corrected to clarify that the bill to which the amendments were added had passed its second reading once before, and that, for Russian laws to come into force, they need to be officially published.
It took the Russian parliament just twenty-three minutes to vote on the second and third readings of a controversial bill tightening military draft rules that many observers believe will pave the way for a second wave of mobilization.
In a rare show of protest, several lawmakers complained they were only shown the full text of the 55-page law an hour before the session began.
“We simply had no opportunity to examine the bill,” Communist Party deputy Nina Ostanina said ahead of the vote.
The speed and stealth with which this bill — that will enact sweeping changes to the country’s military draft procedures — was rushed through the State Duma earlier this week was unusual even by the less-than-transparent standards of Russia’s legislative process.