Dmitry Medvedev: Providing law and order is priority

The head of the state instructed to develop a draft law about militia till December 1. The officials have managed to cope with this task in advance of the schedule presenting the document to Mr. Medvedev late last week. The President started amending it at once.

"We need professional employees who work efficiently, fairly and with good coordination," said Mr. Medvedev at the special meeting. "Time has come to restore the militia's former name and to call our law enforcement bodies the police.

The head of the state emphasized that militia was an extremely important institute of our society. Therefore, the president prioritized some basic conditions.

"The first thing, which I have I already paid attention to, consists in the necessity to precisely determine legislative rules which provide for public control over the activity of the Ministry of Interior and its officials," Mr. Medvedev considers.

The second point is that the law should contain a precise list of duties of militia which will only be possible to change by means of changing the law itself.

"The third task is to itemize the rights of militia as thoroughly as possible," specified Dmitry Medvedev. "We must get rid of formulations devoid of precise meaning, for they create loopholes in the law used for achieving personal goals.

The fourth instruction relates to checking the employees' professional suitability. Henceforth, there will be tough requirements to the personal of militia employees to preclude coming of people with drug or alcoholic addiction as well as mentally unbalanced people to the service. Each employee will also declare his or her incomes and incomes of family members.

"The fifth point. Itemizing militia duties, it should be liberated from unusual functions," reminded the head of the state. "It is obvious that other public authorities can cope with a variety militia's present duties."

"I expect a constructive discussion, and this discussion should absolutely specific rather than relating to general matters," was the President's wish to those who is going to take part in the discussion of the bill.

Vladimir Kuzmin

"The Russian newspaper"

Issue no. 5258 (179) as of August 12, 2010

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