The Legislative Duma of Tomsk Oblast
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Address by Boris MALTSEV at the LIV Session of the Legislative Duma of Tomsk Oblast (November 24, 2011)
Today, November 24, 2011, is a day for a momentous event – the last session of the Duma of the 4th convocation. There are 44 items on the deputies’ agenda.
The central issue on the agenda is adoption of the law “On the Oblast budget for 2012 and the planning period of 2013 and 2014” in the second reading. This is the most important law made by our Duma. The law of the year! This is the relay baton handed over by the Duma of the 4th convocation to the deputies of the 5th convocation.
After the first reading the draft Oblast budget was further refined by the conciliation committee. It worked on the draft budget for several months. As a result, the revenues were increased by 833 million rubles by the second reading, including tax and non-tax revenue which grew by 671 million rubles.
Financial support for the local budgets was increased by 329.5 million rubles by the second reading. There is a proposal to increase the teachers’ payroll by 131.5 million rubles. This is driven by the intention to bring the average teacher’s salary to the average salary levels in Tomsk Oblast in 2012.
Duma Speaker Boris Maltsev made a political statement.
“Time flies, and the election date for a new Legislative Duma of Tomsk Oblast is fast drawing near. At the same time and at the same speed the time to elect a person to take the lead of the Duma is approaching. It is actually the time for you to set your minds on electing a person who you could entrust with this important responsibility. In order to encourage a clearer articulation of the public position on this vital issue I will disclose to you my decision: I decided not to be among those who are currently standing for elections to this post.
My consent to hold the post of the Duma Speaker for four times has been my respect of your desire and the discharge of my duty to you and the voters. I believe I shall live in history as a person who worked as Duma Speaker for inconceivably long time – 17 years. Here I do not mean I was lucky, I just think I deserved that. Any deputy can deserve that. However, that is unlikely to happen again in Tomsk Oblast.
All these years together with the deputies and the government of the Oblast we have been laying foundations of the regulatory framework for public processes. We have consistently and persistently worked to build a firm foundation for sustainable socioeconomic development of the Oblast, establish civil society institutions, and achieve optimum balance in safeguarding the political interests of all branches of power and various population groups. We have done a good job. Here I should express my sincere gratitude to our voters for the choice they had made. All these years the Duma has been distinguished by the high intellectual promise of its members, their accountability, efficiency, and determination to create conditions to improve the standard of living of our people. I would like to say a special thank you to our Governor, Viktor Kress, his deputies, and the whole Oblast Administration for their active involvement in the elections and practical cooperation after the elections. We have experienced every type of challenge in our relationships – disagreement, misunderstanding, emotion. However, to our credit, we managed to overcome personal ambitions for the sake of the cause. Many thanks to the deputies of all convocations and to all of you for your concerted and well coordinated work.”
“We have a lot of problems, the deputies have a large field of action. We all know that Tomsk is recognized as a student city both in Russia and abroad. One cannot but agree that our future in many ways depends on the society’s attitude towards the government and the students. A big campus, university clustering within a particular area – that is creation of a condensed medium which encourages mutual interest, day-to-day contact, closer focus on university studies and scientific activity, and tighter social and intellectual links. All that sounds great. But we must not forget that our universities were built over a century ago. So, when are we going to build new ones and where are we going to take money?
I can state with confidence that Tomsk university campus already exists: it is the Lenina Avenue from the Lagerny Garden to the Lenina Square. A well-known playwright Nikolai Erdman wrote in the 30s that Tomsk resembles a school corridor (the Lenina Avenue) during the noon recess. The same idea was once expressed by a writer Ilya Erenburg. It might not be as visible today, but we remember how thousands of students of various universities and academic backgrounds used to stroll up and down the Lenina Avenue talking, debating, or just going to university. The avenue was the place where they shared views and ideas, which is absolutely important for young people, young scientists. That was the place where helicopters were born, Ostankino TV Tower conceived, nuclear projects started. The universities being in the heart of the city is for the mutual benefit of the academia, the society, and the city’s social and economic life.”
“All has its date. My play has run over. It is time the curtain fell. I am handing over my authority to the new Duma Speaker with a gratifying feeling that my duty has been done and feeling secure about the future of Tomsk Oblast.
In my position as the Duma Speaker I always felt sincere happiness for our accomplishments (57% of voters trust the Duma – go try to beat this!), not without failures, though. However, I have always acted in the best interests of Russia, Tomsk Oblast, and the voters. Everything I did I thought was right. I have always asserted the right to be human; I have never turned away from friends just because the press blamed them for something. I have never understood and still do not understand those who grovel before the government. I try to teach the youth how not to cave in to our system, not to lose your own self.
Here I had better stop but thinking of the succession, effective continuation of what we have done and must do in the future I cannot help sharing some ideas which have resulted from prolonged reflection and profound observations and seem very important to me.
Any citizen of Tomsk Oblast, whether by birth or by choice, rightfully expects your responsible attitude to their interests and needs, and your affection. You have the right to call yourselves Tomsk people because you live here, and this identity is what you must always be proud of and feel patriotic about more than any other title. We are identical let alone some minor differences. We have a common cause which we have always fought for and together gained victories and suffered defeats. The independence and freedom that each of you currently enjoys are the result of coordinated decisions and joint efforts by the society, the Duma, and the Oblast government. There are a lot of reasons to treasure and protect this commonwealth of the deputies and the union of the deputies and the Oblast government for the sake of Tomsk people’s well-being. This union is a reliable protection against conflicts and internal wars which often smite the legislative bodies with low deputy IQ and prevent taking any advantage of any regional potential. Neither scheming nor groveling – these virulent diseases of the officialdom and the powers that be – have never been encouraged or accepted in the Duma. I hope the new Duma will adhere to the same principles.”
“The standing of the executive branch of power has significantly strengthened over the previous years but at the same time new realities have come into existence such as various non-governmental organizations, political movements, public chambers, people’s fronts, unions, associations, etc. That is good, they have their roles and places in the civil society. They are created on any reasonable ground. Their political activism is something to be envied. The problem lies in the fact that these organizations often assert the right to govern or control the constitutional bodies, interfere with their activity or even intimidate them when they make decisions. Sometimes they can go as far as provocation. That impairs the fundamental principle of the separation of powers and has harmful effects. Obstacles in the administration of laws are always very dangerous. Any union, council, association or chamber must remember that the Constitution and the Charter of the Oblast are sacrosanct and binding on everyone. The very idea that the people should have the right and authority to elect the government means that every individual is obliged to obey the Administration of the Oblast and the Governor and comply with the laws adopted by the Duma. If the society wants more control over the executive branch, it must cherish and develop the constitutional institutions created for that purpose such as the regional parliament. It is the only legitimate constitutional body which has a constitutional right to control the executive branch of power.
Life has shown that non-governmental organizations are primarily created to help the disabled and the poor, those whose rights are violated. The poor and the disadvantaged tend to stick together. We cannot but encourage that. People should know how to protect their rights without impairing the right of authority, without creating anarchy. What is bad, there is no tendency to unite among the strong ones, those who strive for a better future. Only the strong will help the weak, only the strong will make the region thrive.
Our society can be characterized by a high degree of diversity, disunity, action of differently directed social forces. Yet there is another point. The distrust with the government is not only the result of its poor performance, but also the general trend among the citizens to minimize their involvement in the domestic affairs of the State. (Not some substitution, nor rabid or ungrounded criticism, but real actions!)
It is also important to ensure that none of the branches of power abuse the authorities defined by the Charter of the Oblast or impinge upon the exclusive rights of any other branch. Usurpation of power is inacceptable; even if in some specific case it serves a good cause. Such a precedent will always seriously outweigh any partial of temporary benefit from the standpoint of inflicted damage. Please cooperate and maintain peace and harmony in everything you do. Our religion and ethics approve of that...”
“Our remote geographical position encourages us to adhere to our own unique – Tomsk – way. If we remain freemen who rely only upon ourselves and are governed by an effective legislative body and effective regional administration, the time will soon come when we shall be able to pass the material damage outside unnoticed. That will be the time when the interests of every Tomsk citizen are taken into account by reason of justice. Honesty is the best policy. Granting privileges at the expense of others is the biggest mistake. That is an illusion which can be cured by experience and should be discarded by the common sense, rationale, and foresight.”
Thank you for attention!
© The State Duma of the Tomsk oblast, 2007-2024