JUSTICE FOR EXPORT
Rossiiskaya Gazeta, September 28, 2000, p. 2
There has been a new development in the case of the Mabetex company. The Swiss legal officials plan to come to Russia and carry out some functions within the framework of the investigation here, from interrogations to searches.
Swiss General Prosecutor’s Office staff expressed the desire to come to Russia for work during their recent visit to Moscow. The request has been granted. Sources say that an official letter to Switzerland signed by Vladimir Ustinov is ready.
ANOTHER COMMISSION FORMED
Rossiiskaya Gazeta, September 28, 2000, p. 1
A commission under Secretary of the Security Council Sergei Ivanov has been formed on President Vladimir Putin’s orders. It includes deputy prime ministers Ilya Klebanov, Aleksei Kudrin, Valentina Matvienko; plus ministers and deputy ministers. Findings of the commission (they concern ways and means of reduction of the cost of the military organization) will be discussed by the Security Council. Whenever any money is saved, it will be channeled into improvement of servicemen’s living conditions.
ENERGY SECTOR VS THE ARMY
Rossiiskaya Gazeta, September 28, 2000, p. 1
It does not take a genius to see importance of protection of the state border, particularly in the Caucasus. Russia’s southern borders are in flames. Clashes with criminals, smugglers, and drug-dealers are daily occurrences.
When power was turned off at the Caucasus headquarters of the border guards in Stavropol, all monitors were switched off. The officer on duty ordered a switchover to auxiliary generators. It turned out that electricity was turned off by the Stavropolenergo company, because of debts.
SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH OF TOPOL-M
Rossiiskaya Gazeta, September 28, 2000, p. 1
An ICBM Topol-M was successfully launched from the Plesetsk pad in the Arkhangelsk region. This was a test launch. The Strategic Missile Forces already include two regiments of Topol-M systems on combat duty.
INVESTIGATION DIRECTORATES FORMED
Tribuna, September 28, 2000, p. 1
Vladimir Martynov, deputy chief of the Affairs Directorate of the Investigating Committee of the Interior Ministry, says that investigation directorates answering directly to the Committee are to be formed in all federal districts.
The directorates will handle particularly grave and complicated interregional economic crimes and corruption. Their status will be fairly high. Their directors will be deputy chiefs of the Investigating Committee so as to insure immunity from local authorities in investigation.
RUSSIA’S DEMOGRAPHIC PROBLEMS
Versty, September 28, 2000, p. 1
The Agency of Regional Political Studies organized a survey recently. Its results show that only 5% of respondents want three or more children (the figure necessary to maintain population numbers). Only 40% of respondents believe that thy can provide for themselves and their families. Moreover, the number of kindergartens throughout the country has fallen by 20 per cent. In the remaining ones, the monthly fee per child amounts to between 16 and 23 per cent of the living wage. Not everybody can afford the cost. At least 10% of families with small children do not send them to kindergartens.
PROBLEMS OF THE AUTUMN CONSCRIPTION CAMPAIGN
Trud-7, September 28, 2000, p. 3
The campaign begins on October 1. Almost 200,000 draftees will be sent to the Army and Navy.
According to Moscow Military Commissar Mikhail Sorokin, Moscow with its 10 million residents will provide only 5,000 conscripts (all the rest are under the umbrella of deferments or study at higher educational establishments with military chairs).
Draftees’ low social level is probably the most distinctive feature of the conscription campaign. In Moscow alone 30 per cent of draftees are from single-parent families. Almost half of them have never studied after school or worked before conscription.
Sorokin: There are a great many illiterates among conscripts even in Moscow nowadays.
Draft-dodgers are the worst headache. There are 4,000 of them in Moscow (compare with other regions – 2,000 in Tatarstan, 2,300 in the Saratov region, and 840 in the Samara region). Most of them hit the road because of the fear to end up in Chechnya.
Igor Alekhin, officer of the Moscow Municipal Army Enlistment And Recruitment Office: No, we do not send draftees to Chechnya. Some draftees are assigned to southern regions which are not exactly very popular here nowadays. It is in the southern military districts that most groups for Chechnya are formed. On the other hand, nobody has revoked the presidential decree which states that a serviceman can be sent to Chechnya only after six months in service and only if he volunteers.
Sorokin says that of the 5,000 Muscovites to be drafted this fall, at least every third may end up assigned to the antiterrorist operation.
