Russian Duma refuses to pay tribute to Gaydar, opposition expresses indignation.

Text of report by Gazprom-owned, editorially independent Russian radio station Ekho Moskvy on 18 December

[Presenter] Today's sitting of the State Duma was marked by yet another row. The lower chamber of the Russian parliament refused to hold a minute of silence to pay tribute to [reformist economist under President Boris Yeltsin who died on 16 December] Yegor Gaydar, the country's former acting prime minister and a deputy of this very State Duma. According to our parliamentary correspondent, Inessa Zemler, the issue was decided almost in a split second, without any heated debate.

[Correspondent] Vera Lekareva from A Just Russia was the first to propose that the Duma pay tribute to Yegor Gaydar.

[Lekareva] It is common practice to do this to people of state importance. Most importantly, …