Interfax: Russians are divided on unification of Supreme Court, Supreme Arbitration Court – poll

Kremlin and St. Basil's

MOSCOW. Nov 27 (Interfax) – Russian citizens are divided on the bill on the unification of the Supreme Court and the Supreme Arbitration Court and a relative majority of them do not understand the authorities’ motives, a public opinion polls show.

A poll conducted by Levada Center in November shows that Russians are evenly divided on this initiative 26% of the respondents said they like it and 25% criticized it. Fifty-one percent of the respondents were undecided.

The poll surveyed 1,603 respondents.

A relative majority (44%) found it difficult to give an opinion on the legislators’ initiative. Nineteen percent of the respondents said the purpose of this initiative is to give the president more control over the judicial system, 11% said they believe it is aimed at increasing control over business, and 16% believe it is aimed at increasing the effectiveness of the judicial system.

Thirteen percent of the respondents assumed that the unification of the courts is needed to give a new job to Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in the event of his dismissal, and 5% believe the purpose of the initiative is to weaken Medvedev’s position because the Supreme Arbitration Court was headed by Anton Ivanov, a person close to Medvedev.

On November 27, The Federation Council unanimously approved the presidential amendments to the Russian Constitution on the unification of the Supreme Court and the Supreme Arbitration Court and on the procedures governing the appointment and dismissal of deputy prosecutor generals and prosecutors of the Russian regions. The amendments were passed by the State Duma in the third (final) reading on November 22.

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