- Title: RUSSIA: GOVERNMENT SURVIVES NO-CONFIDENCE VOTE OVER HANDLING OF BENEFIT REFORMS
- Date: 11th February 2005
- Summary: (EU) MOSCOW, RUSSIA (FEBRUARY 9, 2005) (REUTERS) 1. SLV EXTERIOR OF RUSSIA'S LOWER HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT (DUMA) 0.06 2. HAS RUSSIAN PRIME MINISTER MIKHAIL FRADKOV ENTERS DUMA CHAMBER TRIPS UP ON STEP ON HIS WAY; WIDE OF DUMA CHAMBER/ DEPUTIES; DEPUTIES CONSULTING 0.35 3. HAS FRADKOV WALKING TO PODIUM; FRADKOV ADDRESSING DEPUTIES; DEPUTIES LISTENING; FRADKOV LEAVES PODIUM 0.59 4. HAS RUSSIAN COMMUNIST PARTY LEADER GENNADY ZYUGANOV TAKING PODIUM (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN COMMUNIST PARTY LEADER GENNADY ZYUGANOV ADDRESSING CHAMBER AND SAYING: "The demand to dismiss the government is not just our party's initiative or the initiative by the deputies; this is a demand by all those people who went out across Russia and protested (against the social reforms)." 1.22 5. HAS DEPUTIES; DEPUTIES CASTING VOTE ON GOVERNMENT NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION; PARLIAMENT SPEAKER BORSI GRYZLOV; ELECTRONIC BOARD SHOWING RESULT OF VOTE/ GOVERNMENT SURVIVING VOTE OF NO-CONFIDENCE; WIDE OF CHAMBER 1.39 6. MV PRIME MINISTER MIKHAIL FRADKOV LEAVING DUMA CHAMBER/ CROWD OF WAITING REPORTERS 1.52 7. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN PRIME MINISTER MIKHAIL FRDAKOV SAYING "I wasn't paying attention to the result of the vote; but I have listened carefully to what the deputies had to say and we will take certain steps for the better will be taken by the government." 2.11 8. MEDIA 2.15 (EU) NOGINSK (60KM EAST OF MOSCOW), RUSSIA (FILE - JANUARY 23, 2005) (REUTERS) 9. WIDE OF PENSIONERS' RALLY; MAN HOLDING SIGN READING: "Increase pensions five times." 2.26 10. SCU STATUE OF LENIN; PENSIONER; MAN HOLDING UP SIGN READING: "Return benefits for schools, students, soldiers and servicemen"; SLV RALLY 11. WIDE OF RALLY/ POLICE NEARBY 2.51 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 26th February 2005 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: MOSCOW, AND NOGINSK (60 KM EAST OF MOSCOW), RUSSIA
- Country: Russia
- Reuters ID: LVAAYJKK3XTS98KGAQ478YJKWD2Y
- Story Text: Russian government survives no-confidence vote in
parliament over its handling of benefit reforms.
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov easily
survived a vote of no-confidence in parliament on Wednesday
(February 9, 2005) but most pro-Kremlin MPs snubbed the vote in a
clear show of dissatisfaction with his government.
At least 226 votes in the 450-seat parliament were
needed for the motion to stand. Only 136 deputies took
part. Of those, 112 voted in favour of the motion, 20
against and four formally abstained.
After surviving the vote, the Russian prime minister
sounded a more conciliatory note.
"I wasn't paying attention to the result of the vote;
but I have listened carefully to what the deputies had to
say and we will take certain steps for the better will be
taken by the government," Fradkov told reporters.
The Communist and nationalist opposition in the
Kremlin-dominated State Duma lower house called the vote
after a wave of public protests against social welfare
reforms.
Before the vote in the chamber, Communist party leader
Gennady Zyuganov said the call for the government to resign
was not confined to the parliament but was what most
Russians wanted.
"The demand to dismiss the government is not just our
party's initiative or the initiative by the deputies; this
is a demand by all those people who went out across Russia
and protested (against the social reforms)," said Zyuganov.
Thousands of angry pensioners, who have been worst hit
by welfare reforms, have protested across Russia, forcing
the government to restore some benefits and spend an extra
4 billion U.S. dollars.
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