None of State Duma deputies prefers foreign assets to parliament seat

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(Interfax – MOSCOW, August 19, 2013) At least 39 State Duma deputies were supposed to make decisions regarding their foreign assets and real estate abroad before August 19.

A law, which came into effect on May 19, 2013, compelled deputies to abandon either their assets or their parliament seats.

Deputies and public servants are permitted to have real estate abroad but there must be a full disclosure, primarily of the origin of the money that bought that real estate, in addition to the income and property declarations.

Information about 39 State Duma deputies possessing either foreign assets or real estate abroad was posted on July 5 at a meeting of the State Duma commission verifying the reliability of deputies’ income and property declarations. The commission declined to say how many deputies had foreign assets and to give the names of those who might lose their seats in the State Duma.

A State Duma spokesman told Interfax on Sunday that none of the deputies had declared the surrender of one’s mandate by August 19 due to the unwillingness or the impossibility to abandon foreign assets.

Public servants, judges and law enforcement officers will also lose their jobs in the case of an attempt to keep their foreign assets.

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