Duma ethics commission may analyze Zhirinovsky's controversial remarks in N. Caucasus
MOSCOW. Oct 26 (Interfax) - The State Duma ethics commission may analyze controversial remarks by Liberal-Democratic Party leader and Duma Deputy Chairman Vladimir Zhirinovsky concerning the North Caucasus, deputy ethics commission head Andrei Andreyev of the Communist Party faction told Interfax on Saturday.
"The State Duma is on a regional week now, during which the members of all parliamentary factions are meeting with their voters, and I do not rule out that the deputies representing the North Caucasus republics may initiate an address to our commission upon returning from the regions," Andreyev said.
He said he is aware of the situation from media reports.
"We haven't received any materials regarding Vladimir Zhirinovsky's remarks, and therefore the commission doesn't have reasons to put the issue on its agenda so far," he said.
Head of the Chechen republic Ramzan Kadyrov harshly criticized Zhirinovsky's remarks on the North Caucasus. "I can't understand why [Zhirinovsky's] colleagues did not raise the issue of one of the parliamentary leaders' responsibility the next morning, considering that his remarks foment hatred between the peoples of Russia and insult millions of Russian citizens based on their ethnicity or religion," Kadyrov said on Instagram.
Kadyrov pointed out that "Zhirinovsky tried to persuade Russians [in a TV show the day before] that all of the country's troubles are because of the North Caucasus" and proposed methods to restrict the birth rate there. The Chechen leader described these proposals as Nazi-like and noted that he could not understand how "important state affairs can be entrusted to such an irresponsible man."
It was also reported earlier that Yabloko party leader Sergei Mitrokhin had officially asked the Investigative Committee to open a criminal investigation against Zhirinovsky for his remarks concerning the North Caucasus.
"Zhirinovsky proposed in a TV show hosted by Vladimir Solovyov and dealing with measures against terrorism that the birth rate in the North Caucasus should be restricted by imposing a fine for giving birth to a third child. He also proposed restricting movement of people from the Caucasus 'by fencing the Caucasus with barbed wire'," the Yabloko party said in a press release.
"Zhirinovsky's remarks are openly Nazi-like in nature," Mitrokhin was quoted as saying.
Zhirinovsky called Mitrokhin's criticism absurd.
Speaking to Interfax, Zhirinovsky claimed that the methods he proposed are widely used by other countries. "Various measures have always been proposed in humankind's history to limit birth rates where they exceed those necessary for normal development of a given territory, society, or state. What can cause negative emotions here?" Zhirinovsky said.
He insisted that he only expressed his opinion, and "no one should run to an investigator because of this."
"If we had proposed passing a bill, then there would've been something to discuss. But in this case only an opinion was expressed," he said.
Zhirinovsky said his remarks, including that on barbed wire, concerned measures to combat terrorism. "This is one of the measures to suspend transport services, and in this case I was talking about bus services. Then we talk about blocking the routes through which drugs or terrorists could pass. To this end, checkpoints are installed. Does this violate the rights of people moving along the roads? Yes it does. But this is done in a state of emergency. Barbed wire and some fortifications can be used at some places," Zhirinovsky said.
Zhirinovsky referred to the U.S., which "has built a wall, for otherwise it cannot block the influx of immigrants from Mexico."
"And nobody says that this smacks of Nazism," he said.
