Deputy Nina Ostanina: Today Putin's Place Is in Mezhdurechensk

What do you know! In "totalitarian" Soviet Union I freely listened both to «Voice of America» from Washington, BBC and «Radio Freedom». Certainly, they were suppressed as megaphones of military-political and ideological opponent. Though they were suppressed somehow inertly. Without spark... Today we live as if in open information society of XXI-st century but I can't receive a word or line from Mezhdurechensk full of militia. What happens there?

Even in day of "regional" mourning on May, 15th TV talked poppycock, there were dances, merrymaking and "black humour" in the air. International human rights organisations even at the time of V.Putin's presidency named Russia the country unfriendly to journalists. Recently ex - "national leader" was ranked reckoned in enemies of free mass-media.

To tell you the truth, I do not remember when he carried out special ideological snorters with editors-in-chief of newspapers and TV. But for 8 years of his serene reign he managed to give the shakes in edition that today they understand there the will of the owner without instructions. No word of truth which could afflict him, could shake his image of great and infallible. For everybody understood how cruel, ruthless and vindictive  "gallery slave" could be.

I perfectly well remember "rail war" in Kuzbas in 90s years. As well as television reports where the miners directly spoke what they wanted to achieve.

Today we do not see in TV screen any miner of "Raspadskaya" who would tell what miners want, demand, achieve. We can see either Putin, Tuleev, some official-rescuer or public prosecutor's rank who cannot say something definite about reasons of monstrous explosions in the mine which carried away lives of almost 100 workers.

For last years it's already the third accident in Kuzbas with huge human victims. It freezes and chills consciousness of, first of all, inhabitants of Mezhdurechensk and other coal-mining cities of Kuzbas. How to go tomorrow to work, if you do not know where, what minute, from what infringement of safety precautions you will die. After all universal "slovenliness", by D.Medvedev's recognition, became "threat of national safety" in Russia which just rose from its knees.

It seems that in these conditions the power should do everything to make investigation of reasons of state of emergency as much as fast and open. Far from it! We know that Prime Minister Putin, as a matter of fact, ordered speaker Gryzlov to "butt" idea of parliamentary investigation which was proposed from Duma opposition. I said yesterday what provocation employees of FSB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs (under "tandem" instructions) agreed to not to admit arrival of the deputy of the State Duma N. Ostanina to Mezhdurechensk. Her yesterday's story about that mean provocation was written off from FORUM.msk by tens different mass-media. It caused fury in regional administration of governor A.Tuleev. It accused the deputy Ostanina in "instigation to mass riots".

That is why we waited for her call and story about the second day of her meetings with fellow countrymen with such impatience. At last, she called. Our telephone conversation was continually interrupted by some gurgles. I think such experts who suppressing in due time "enemy voices" little dreamt about such technique.

- Nina Aleksandrovna, what was the reason of small «rail war»?

- Parliamentary commission of the State Duma which creation we insisted on in the Duma should get engaged in investigation. The answer of "Edinaya Russia" is known: officials would tell us "truth" about events in "rebellious" Mezhdurechensk. The governor of the region Tuleev on last parliamentary elections of 2007 seated big brigade of Moscow politicians from mining Kuzbas under the list of "Edinaya Russia" to the State Duma. We are talking here both about well-known "lawyer Makarov" and former first lady of the lower chamber Madam Sliska from Saratov. Those days we heard many time: "Edinaya Russia" - is a party which is responsible for all". Why today these misters do not fly to their voters to Mezhdurechensk captured by grief to show condolences, to console, to help to solve urgent questions? They have not go there themselves and didn't allow us to create the commission.

Yesterday and today I carried out a set of meetings with townsmen and families of victims, the first thing they asked me about was: "Nina Aleksandrovna, why nobody wishes to listen to us? Neither the president, nor the prime minister, nor mister "Tuleev? Why they have such attitude to us? What's the reason?"

Information that miners of "Raspadskaya" mustn't grumble spread by regional administration through Internet was immediate cause for indignation. The y have the salary - 80 thousand roubles. All safety precautions were strictly observed there and failure had technogenic character. Aman Gumirovich distributed the same lie in the first days. Indignant miners began to gather spontaneously on the squares of the city with "salary checks" and to show them to each other: where, who has the salary of 80 thousand? Indignation of people grew, they went to city administration for explanations. It was approximately at 17 o'clock. Nobody met and calmed people down. Indignation grew. At about 24 o'clock young guys decided to block trunk-railway. That is power had 7 hours to relieve the tension. Though its inactivity pushed people on rails and provoked the conflict.

- What requirements do they put forward today?

- You should understand that miners don't have any strike committee or some other structured body which could state accurately their requirements to the president, the government and regional administration. Our companion on fraction - the committee-man on safety of the State Duma Alexander Kulikov - arrived today to help me. All day long we were busy meeting miners. It's possible to allocate in their spontaneously stated requirements following items:

1) Creation of some kind of "trust office" where miners of "Raspadskaya", families of victims and all citizens of Mezhdurechensk could address with urgent problems.

2) Investigation of reasons of accident on mine by parliamentary commission of the State Duma. Dismissal of the management of the mine.

3) T enter criminal liability of its heads for each death on manufacture.

4) To raise salary, to pay for the time actually spent underground and not for output. To establish strict responsibility for observance by administration of safety precaution regulations.

5) To free all 28 people arrested by militia "for disorders" and being engaged now in criminal case.

- You were also registered as "instigators of mass riots" at suggestion of regional administration.

- I heard about it. You should understand that the city, on the one hand, is suppressed by such quantity of deaths, on the other hand - it lives as on a tinderbox. Today is 9 days from the date of death of the miners. 24 families could not bury their fathers and children. They are there - in dead blockages of "Raspadskaya". One clumsy word of Tuleev or his administrations will be enough to "blow up" the city. However, we asked people to restrain from extreme measures.

- Whether its truth that the plan "Fortress" during which nobody could enter or leave it has been entered in Mezhdurechensk?

- Judging by abundance of militia, it's quite possible. It seems as if city is under martial law. Though nobody did it intentionally. Nobody put difficulties in our way, probably, they understood that, limiting movement of deputies, authorities make criminal offence. Today, that is on Monday, we have meetings with management of regional Office of Public Prosecutor and the Department of Internal Affairs. If there will be communication, I will try to give you the details ...

Here you are the main resume for today: regional and federal authority is afraid to look in the face to mothers and widows of dead miners. That is why I say: "Mister Putin. Your place today is - in Mezhdurechensk". Perhaps then you personally, ministers of your government and officials of regional and local administration will understand that it is impossible to treat heart-broken townsmen in a beastly way as you do it now.

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