CONCEPT AND VALUE OF THE PRINCIPLE OF PUBLICITY FOR ACTIVITY OF LOCAL                               GOVERNMENTS IN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

Sintsov Gleb Vladimirovich, Doctor of juridical sciences, professor, head of sub-department of private and public law, Penza State University (40 Krasnaya street, Penza, Russia), g_sintsov@mail.ru

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Background. The Consitution of the Russian Federation has secured the main principles of local governing. However there are no direct instructions on publicity of local governments’ activities, although, obviously, it is this institution of power, interacting directly with society and being closest to it, which should conduct its operations as openly and transparently as possible in conditions of direct contact with local population. That is, local self-government, theoretically, should meet the principles of publicity.
Materials and methods. The article analyzes the Constitution of the Russian Fe¬deration (adopted by the nationwide vote on 12.12.1993) (with amendments by the Laws of the Russian Federation from 30.12.2008 № 6-FKZ, from 30.12.2008 № 7-FKZ, from 05.02.2014 № 2-FKZ, from 21.07.2014 № 11-FKZ); the Federal law from 06.10.2003 № 131-FZ (amendment from 29.12.2014) «On general principles of local government organization in the Russia Federation».
Results. In modern conditions of complication of country’s economic situation and increase of foreign-policy tension it is necessary to additionally improve population’s trust both to the state and to local governments, to intensify civil activity, to attract citizens to resolve local problems. It is unacceptable to leave this situation unaltered, when local self-government bodies virtually can be detached from populaton, as the created bureaucratic procedures interfere with the direct contact bet¬ween local authorities and citizens. The principle of publicity also has not been directly fixed in federal laws: the Federal law “On general principles of local governemnt organization in the Russian Federation” features no clear indications that local self-governing is based on publicity and openness.
Conclusions. In this connections it is reasonable to correspondingly amend the Constitution of the Russian Federation and the Federal law “On general principles of local government organization” by introducing the principle of publicity as one of the basic principles local self-governing.

publicity of local authorities in the Russian Federation.

1. Sobranie zakonodatel'stva RF [Collected laws of the Russian Federation]. 2014, no. 31 (4 Aug.), art. 4398.
2. Sobranie zakonodatel'stva RF [Collected laws of the Russian Federation]. 2003, no. 40 (6 Oct.), art. 3822.