Members of the Russian House of Representatives (State Duma) will be able to go on personal trips abroad after reporting to the Speaker in advance. The action was taken after the public opinion that some Russian lawmakers enjoyed a luxurious New Year’s holiday at a foreign resort during the war with Ukraine.
According to the Rianovosti News Agency, on the 24th (local time), the House of Representatives adopted a decision at a plenary session to require lawmakers to submit their overseas travel plans in advance to their committee or speaker. Only business trips made at the direction of the Chairman need not follow these procedures.
The measure was directly proposed by Vyacheslav Volodin, Speaker of the House of Representatives. It is said that Speaker Volodin ordered the floor leaders of each party to find out which lawmakers went abroad during the New Year holidays and to hold them accountable.
Against this backdrop, the overseas travel of some lawmakers is frowned upon by the Russian people. They protested strongly, saying that during the war, lawmakers sent citizens to death while they themselves traveled abroad.
Previously, Denis Dolchenko, a member of the Vologda Legislature, posted a photo on social media while on vacation at a luxury resort in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). In particular, Rep. Dolchenko drew criticism for posting a picture of herself with Ksenia Shoigu, the second daughter of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
In addition, Maksim Vasilyev, a member of the provincial legislature of the western Russian state of Crusk, caused controversy by posting a video on social media of drinking alcohol in a Mexican resort.
In particular, Vasilyev’s constituency is a border area that shares the border with Ukraine. Thousands of men from this region alone were called to the front lines. Only the official death toll reaches 100. In this regard, the secretary-general of the United Russia Party, Russia’s ruling party, slammed Vasilyev for “the height of shamelessness and inhumanity,” and after returning to Korea, he voluntarily resigned from the position of vice chairman of the Budget Committee.
Hankyung.com reporter Shin Hyun-bo greaterfool@hankyung.com
