Nearly 90% of Russians support ban on foreign bank accounts of officials – poll

MOSCOW. Feb 21 (Interfax) – Support of the Russian public to President Vladimir Putin’s bill banning foreign bank accounts of civil servants is practically unanimous, the Public Opinion Foundation said. It polled 1,500 respondents in 100 towns and cities in 43 regions on February 16-17.

Seventy-three percent heard about the bill, and 26% learned about it during the poll.

From 85% to 89% of the respondents said they supported every provision of the law. The support was even higher, 89% to 91%, amongst Communist Party voters. Some 82-87% of United Russia voters backed the bill.

Some 85% support the ban on civil servants’ ownership of foreign bonds, 87% support the ban on foreign bank accounts, and 85% support the proposal to dismiss civil servants who fail to close their foreign bank accounts within three months.

Some 89% support the president’s proposal to bind civil servants to report foreign real estate owned by themselves, their spouses and underage children and the source of money with which the property was acquired.

The bill will apply to government members, federal judges, top managers of state corporations, members of the Central bank Board of Directors, deputies of the State Duma, the Federation Council and regional legislative assemblies, governors, regional ministers and the like.

The State Duma will hear two presidential bills banning foreign bank accounts and foreign bonds of Russian civil servants on February 22.