Sanctions against the key institution of democracy – Parliament – are sanctions on democracy itself, said the member of the Federation Council Konstantin Kosachev in his speech at the 24th session of the Asia-Pacific parliamentary forum.
MOSCOW, 19 Jan. The head of the international Committee of the Federation Council Konstantin Kosachev in his speech at the 24th session of the Asia-Pacific parliamentary forum (APPF) invited colleagues to support the draft resolution “On inadmissibility of sanctions against parliamentarians”, submitted by the Russian Federation.
The Senator said that he considers unfortunate the fact that we have to discuss and adopt such a resolution. “Because sanctions against the key institution of democracy – Parliament – are sanctions against democracy itself. It is an absurdity that has no place in international relations between civilized peoples in the 21st century,” he said.
Presentation of the resolution Kosachev explained that in recent years in the practice of a number of States were actively used restrictive measures against the deputies, including refusals to issue visas to participate in international forums, the deprivation of the right to vote and participation in the working bodies of the inter-parliamentary structures.
The Senator noticed that the text of the draft resolution referred, in particular, the statement by the President of the inter-Parliamentary Union saber Chowdhury, made in the framework of the 133rd IPU Assembly (October 2015), which expressed disagreement with the political application of visa sanctions against members of Parliament. “It is important to develop this initiative, thus confirming that the relationship between States and parliaments in the Asia-Pacific region will be built fundamentally on an equal, respectful and non-discriminatory basis”, — said the head of the Russian delegation.
At the session of the Union in Switzerland of the Russian Federation also made a proposal.
Kosachev noted that the Parliament is the core of democracy, since elected by the people, embodies the rule of his sovereign power and ruled in his name. “Our authority has been delegated to us by the voters, and we’re reflecting in its actions their sovereign will. No one should be deprived of the right to Express their opinions, to participate in inter-parliamentary dialogue, in the dialogue of civilizations”, — said the Senator. “Denying the Parliament, we refuse peoples, and this is unacceptable and contrary to the values and norms that unite us all”, he concluded.
