At the first meeting of the Public Council at the Saratov Regional Duma, there took place the election of the chair. He became Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs of Saratov University Igor Malinskii.

He said that such a decision came as a surprise to him. At the same time, he noted that he would be happy to work in a new team. ‘We will do everything possible to promote the transparency and openness of the Saratov Regional Duma, increase confidence in the regional legislature.’

Igor Malinskii indicated that the Public Council should help the interaction of the deputies of the Regional Duma with residents and public organizations, and among the tasks he called the need for a qualitative public assessment of the laws and other legal acts considered by the regional Duma.

The Deputy Chairs of the Public Council became Director of the City House of Folk Arts Natalia Kosyreva and Head of the Medical Care Examination Room, Saratov Polyclinic No. 16 Sergei Ponin.

The speaker of the Regional Duma Mikhail Isayev expressed hope for the fruitful work of the updated council. ‘I am glad to see new faces, as well as activists known to me earlier, with whom we are implementing important projects and solving significant issues. This year we have reviewed the process of forming a collegial body. We expect that the renewed Public Council will work productively together with us, the deputies, to give objective feedback on draft laws and initiatives.’

The new Public Council at the Regional Duma included 40 people, including Dean of the Faculty of Law, SSU, Galina Komkova and Chair of the Department of Primary Natural and Mathematical Education Elena Morozova.