President Vladimir Putin received some 2,000 citizens' messages with questions or wishes every day in 2002. According to the information of the official site of the President (www. kremlin. ru), the number of messages sent to President Putin by Russians and foreigners grew by 26 per cent as against 2001 and amounted to 716,888.
The department for handling citizens' messages under the presidential administration received 688,200 letters, including 147,500 in foreign languages, the presidential site said. Aside from it, 32,356 messages came by E-mail. Some 29,000 people came personally to the presidential administration. Most of the questions they raised dealt with problems of social security, state policy, housing and communal economy. About one third of the messages congratulated the President on this or that occasion, or expressed condolences in connection with various developments.
The number of messages dealing with the exercise of the right to housing grew perceptibly in 2002 as against 2001 (by 23 per cent), the presidential site said. Most messages reveal two aspects of the housing problem: a bureaucratic way to implement the reform of the housing and communal sector, which resulted in some regions in the growth of rent payments and nothing else, and the absence of a real possibility to improve one's living conditions.
The number of messages sent by army officers and men also grew by 23 per cent. Most of them urge to speed up the military reform and the formation of the Armed Forces on a contract basis.
Most messages dealing with economic problems urge to further develop the positive trends that emerged during the past few years. The messages suggest that the priority attention be given to the improvement of the tax system, especially in the part dealing with small and medium business. Some messages contain concrete proposals on reforming Unified Energy Systems (UES) of Russia and Gazprom.
The number of messages dealing with problems of maintaining law and order and guarantees of legal protection of human rights and freedoms is not being reduced. The struggle against organised crime and drug addiction also remain in the focus of attention of the public.
The President received a total of 147,500 letters from 140 foreign countries. Most of them dealt with problems of world politics, the observance of human rights, ecological problems, economic and humanitarian cooperation (80 per cent). The greatest number of letters on those problems came from Britain, Germany, the United States, France, Australia, the Netherlands, Japan, Italy, Spain and Belgium.
The staff of the presidential administration examined two thirds of oral and written messages. The putting into effect of 18,500 applications, as well as measures taken on the complaints, was taken under special control. The share of positive resolutions and measures taken grew by 1. 4 times in 2002 as against 2001.