Two Duma factions to stop protests Friday.

MOSCOW, October 16 (Itar-Tass) -- Two State Duma factions will stop
protesting the results of the October 11 municipal elections in Russia and
will return to the plenary hall, while the Communists will continue
protests and will leave for the regions to meet voters and local
legislature members.
On Wednesday the Just Russia, the Liberal-Democratic Party, and the
Communists stormed out of the Duma hall in protest of the landslide
victory of the ruling United Russia Party. The lawmakers called for a
meeting with the president to voice complaints regarding the election
campaign.
The United Russia faction recommended them to "learn how to lose" and
speaker Boris Gryzlov even said the protest "plays into the hands of
outside forces that want to destabilize the situation in Russia and make
it kneel."
However, United Russia leader and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin
recommended to negotiate consensus.
Liberal-Democratic Party faction head Igor Lebedev said party leader
Vladimir Zhirinovsky had a telephone conversation with President Dmitry
Medvedev who promised to meet Duma faction leaders shortly.
Medvedev's spokeswoman Natalya Timakova said that upon request of
Zhirinovsky and Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov the president "ordered
to find time in his work schedule for a meeting already next week. That is
somewhat earlier than the meeting was initially planned."
As a result, LDPR and Just Russia stopped the protest.
Just Russia faction leader Nikolai Levichev said a commission to
monitor the election process will be created in the State Duma.
LDPR's Lebedev said his faction "occupied a constructive position" and
is returning to the plenary hall.
On Friday lawmakers are likely to decide on inviting Central Election
Commission head Vladimir Churov to the State Duma to report on October 11
elections.

.Duma to raise punishment for mafia groups.

MOSCOW, October 16 (Itar-Tass) -- The State Duma is likely to finally
approve amendments to the Criminal Code on Friday that will raise
punishment to organized criminal groups up to life imprisonment for mafia
bosses.
Presidential representative in the State Duma Garry Minkh said the
lawbill submitted by the president increases the lowest imprisonment term
for organized criminal groups members from 7 to 12 years and the highest
- from 15 to 20 years.
Life imprisonment is envisaged for organizers and coordinators of
criminal groups and the so-called 'thieves in law".
The lowest imprisonment term for office abuse in support of criminal
groups is to be raised from 10 to 15 years.
Those convicted for such crimes will have to serve at least two-thirds
of the term before getting the right for parole.
The term of detention of suspects in grave crimes may be raised from
10 to 30 days.

.Duma plans to ease punishment for tax dodgers.

MOSCOW, October 16 (Itar-Tass) -- The State Duma plans to ease
punishment for tax dodgers, as criminal persecution has become excessively
used against them by corrupt and office-abusing law enforcers.
"The proposed amendments will seriously decrease the possibilities for
corrupt actions in the sphere of tax relations," said Duma speaker Boris
Gryzlov, who was among the authors of amendments to be discussed Friday.
Numerous cases were registered in Russia when law enforcers demanded
huge bribes from businessmen in exchange for closing their tax offense
cases that could result in a prison term.
"The threat of criminal punishment is the Damocles' sword that
permanently hangs over businessmen," Gryzlov added.
"The threat of criminal punishment often becomes the most efficient
argument in the talk between the state and the taxpayer," he added.
Gryzlov explained criminal persecution should be dropped against
violators who pay tax arrears, and the amount of tax evasion that triggers
criminal punishment shall be increased several-fold.
"The amounts of unpaid taxes and duties (that envisage criminal
punishment) have not been revised for six years and shall be considerably
raised. We propose 5-fold," the speaker said.
"The state is not interested in jailing as many taxpayers as possible,
it wants them to conscientiously and honestly fulfill their duties. In
case of violations of tax legislation the taxpayer has to compensate the
state all the damages," he said.
"The person that committed a tax offense shall not only have a
possibility, but shall be encouraged to remedy the situation and
compensate the damage," Gryzlov said.
"If all demands of a tax agency to pay arrears and penalties are
fulfilled, the person shall be free from criminal persecution," Gryzlov
said adding amendments will be introduced to the Tax Code, Criminal Code
and the Law on police to avoid any misinterpretation by law enforcers.
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