2.1. STATE STRUCTURE
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

According to the Constitution, the Russian Federation - Russia -is a democratic legal federal state with a republican form of government (Article 1).

All the governing power of the Russian Federation is vested in President of the Russian Federation, Federal Assembly (the Council of the Federation and the State Duma), the Government of the Russian Federation, courts of the Russian Federation (Article 11).

The President of the Russian Federation is the head of the state and is elected for the term of six years by the voters on the basis of universal and direct suffrage by secret ballot (Articles 80, 81).

The Federal Assembly - the Parliament of the Russian Federation, is a representative and legislative body of the Russian Federation and is composed of two chambers - the Council of the Federation and the State Duma. The Council of the Federation is composed of two representatives from every subject of the Russian Federation: one from representative and one from executive bodies of the state power. The State Duma consists of 450 deputies and is elected for five years period (Articles 94-96).