"Something went wrong": ex-Deputy Defense Minister Tsalikov has not yet been appointed senator

In the draft agenda of the meeting of the Supreme Hural of Tuva, scheduled for October 23, there is no question of empowering a senator — a representative of the legislative authority in The Federation Council (SF). The document is published on the website of the regional parliament, it contains 57 questions, Vedomosti reports.

One of the candidates for the post of senator is the former First Deputy Minister of Defense of Russia (2015-2019) Ruslan Tsalikov, who worked in various positions in the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the government of the Moscow region and the military department together with the current secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Sergei Shoigu.

The deputy was elected to the Parliament of Tuva from the "United Russia" (EP) on September 8, and he, as a full state adviser of the Russian Federation of the first class, is not subject to the residency qualification.

As reported by the interlocutor of the publication, close to the presidential administration, the delegation of Tsalikov has not been fully agreed and another vector of his activities is being discussed.

In the Ministry of Defense, the deputy oversaw, among other things, legal issues and interaction with the media. The decree on his resignation was signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin on June 17 (Shoigu lost his post of Defense minister on May 12 and became head of the Security Council on the same day), at the same time State Secretary - Deputy Defense Minister Nikolai Pankov and deputy ministers Tatyana Shevtsova and Pavel Popov were dismissed.

In relation to the latter, the Main Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia (GSU TFR) on August 29 opened a criminal case on fraud on an especially large scale (part 4 of Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), on the same day the military court, at the request of the investigation, sent him to jail. The investigation is connected with the theft in the Patriot Park.

Corruption-related criminal cases are also being investigated against other former deputies of Shoigu. Timur Ivanov (accused of especially large bribes and embezzlement, was fired on April 26 due to loss of trust) and Dmitry Bulgakov (accused of especially large fraud, was fired on September 24, 2022). Both were arrested.

In accordance with the law "On the procedure for the Formation of the Federation Council", a senator from the legislative body must be appointed within one month from the date of the first meeting in a competent composition. The deadline for the appointment of a senator from the Parliament of Tuva is October 25.

The law does not provide for liability for failure to meet deadlines, and legislative assemblies sometimes use this. For example, the Ryazan Regional Duma has not had a representative in the upper house of parliament for a year and four months, since Igor Morozov left his post on November 16, 2022. Deputy Igor Murog was appointed a new senator only on April 2, 2024.

It is not accepted to bind the timing of personnel decision—making with responsibility in public law, because this does not correspond to the essence of such actions - the right of an authorized person or body to determine the best candidate, political scientist Oleg Zakharov told Vedomosti on October 19, 2023.

According to him, specifically for the appointment of senators, the practice followed the path "if it is impossible, but necessary, then it is possible." According to the expert, it is possible to think about amendments clarifying this procedure so that vacant seats in the upper house of parliament are not empty.