Robert Harris
02-16-2004, 11:44 AM
One of the perks given to members of the Duma is a fancy Moscow apartment. Now that there has been turnover after the last election, a bunch of the losers won't move out.
The Kremlin is trying to evict several dozen former members of the Russian parliament who refuse to vacate VIP flats they lost along with their seats.
The rent-free apartments come as part of a package of perks for MPs, including luxury cars and holidays.
They are now needed by new deputies voted in at parliamentary elections in December, but many of their existing occupants refuse to leave.
Many new deputies are living in hotel rooms while they wait for a resolution.
From: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3491957.stm
his is not a new problem -- I recakk it happening after every election.
Given the scarcity of decent apartments in Moscow, and the cost, it is no surprise. Where can these guys go? Many of them would have no choice but going home, to the districts from which the emerged in a previoius election.
The obvious solution to this does not seem to have been considered -- give new members of the Duma a generous housing allowance in cash and let them find their own places and pay for them. Then when the lose the allowance stops and they can stay on only if they continue paying rent, out of their own pocket.
Too free-market a solution for implementation? Probably.
I suspect they just do not want to publicly make known the cost of this perk by making it a money payment to individual members, though. I believe the rent of the kinds of apartments provided would be a few thousand dollars per month -- my apartment in Moscow cost almost $4,000 per month. A big multiple of the average family income in Russia, and that would raise eyebrows. :)
The Kremlin is trying to evict several dozen former members of the Russian parliament who refuse to vacate VIP flats they lost along with their seats.
The rent-free apartments come as part of a package of perks for MPs, including luxury cars and holidays.
They are now needed by new deputies voted in at parliamentary elections in December, but many of their existing occupants refuse to leave.
Many new deputies are living in hotel rooms while they wait for a resolution.
From: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3491957.stm
his is not a new problem -- I recakk it happening after every election.
Given the scarcity of decent apartments in Moscow, and the cost, it is no surprise. Where can these guys go? Many of them would have no choice but going home, to the districts from which the emerged in a previoius election.
The obvious solution to this does not seem to have been considered -- give new members of the Duma a generous housing allowance in cash and let them find their own places and pay for them. Then when the lose the allowance stops and they can stay on only if they continue paying rent, out of their own pocket.
Too free-market a solution for implementation? Probably.
I suspect they just do not want to publicly make known the cost of this perk by making it a money payment to individual members, though. I believe the rent of the kinds of apartments provided would be a few thousand dollars per month -- my apartment in Moscow cost almost $4,000 per month. A big multiple of the average family income in Russia, and that would raise eyebrows. :)