MOSCOW, January 22 (AVN) - The defence committee of the State Duma lower house of Russian parliament plans to conduct parliamentary hearings on civil control and management of military organisation and activities in Russia in the second half of 2001, a spokesman for the committee told the Military News Agency on Monday.
The decision was taken earlier in the day during the discussion of the bill "Concerning Civil Control and Management of Military Organisation and Activities in Russia".
According to committee chairman Andrei Nikolayev, the necessity to pass the bill is beyond any doubts. Currently parliament only has limited observer functions towards the Armed Forces but is unable to control them, he claimed, adding that civil control is necessary. The aim of the forthcoming hearings is to work out a concept of the new bill's elaboration.