#6405
#14 - JRL 6404
BBC Monitoring
Loophole for denying media access to information seen
in new Putin decree
Source: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, Moscow, in Russian 14 Aug 02
Yesterday Vladimir Putin signed a decree establishing general principles for the conduct of civil servants. As is well known, this "moral code for bureaucrats" had been in the pipeline for a long time, and its main purpose is supposed to be to increase society's trust in state institutions, ensure the conscientious and efficient performance of official duties by functionaries, and prevent them from committing abuses in state service.
The president's decree regulates a whole series of situations that Russian officials might encounter, although its general principles may evoke a smile from the uninitiated. For instance, in particular, state employees are called upon to "perform official duties conscientiously and to high professional standards with a view to ensuring efficient work by the state body" and also "not to show preference towards any professional or social groups and organizations and to be independent of influence from citizens and professional or social groups and organizations". You might wonder whether there is anything new here. Be professionally trained and honest and act in accordance with the law, as you are supposed to. But it transpires that similar codes of official conduct exist in many European states, and our country is not a pioneer here. We are simply adopting the standards of the civilized world.
So the Russian official must now "display courtesy and attentiveness in dealings with citizens and representatives of organizations", "refrain from behaviour that might arouse doubts as to the objective performance by the civil servant of their official duties, and also avoid conflicts capable of damaging their reputation or the authority of the state body". However, on the one hand they must "refrain from public remarks, opinions, and assessments concerning the activities of state bodies and their leaders unless this forms part of their official duties", and on the other they must "treat with respect the activities of representatives of the mass media to inform society about the work of the state body and also assist them in obtaining reliable information in instances and according to the procedure laid down by law". It is possible that our officials could play on this less than obvious contradiction and use it as a kind of loophole for denying journalists access to information. After all, officials have by no means always complied even with the norm enshrined in the law on the mass media concerning the provision of information.
The provision that a civil servant must "not tolerate instances where civil servants are forced to participate in the activities of political parties and other public associations" is an original innovation in the decree. Now we can only feel sorry for United Russia and other contenders for the role of party of power for which officials are the main party recruits. Especially as United Russia is already preparing a law under which even category A officials would be able to be party members.
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