A survey conducted by the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VTsIOM) indicated that 85% of respondents were in favor of simplifying the procedure to strip lawmakers of their legislative immunity allowing them to be held legally responsible.
"Businessmen and entrepreneurs have demonstrated most enthusiasm to support the move," VTsIOM said in a report.
Russia's top investigative body, the Prosecutor General's Investigation Committee, has previously expressed its support for reviewing procedures to strip officials of their parliamentary or legislative immunity.
The committee said that people, previously convicted for violent crimes, and those involved in organized crime are able to be elected to local legislatures due to simplified candidate checks, and once in power parliamentary immunity protects them from being prosecuted.
The opinion poll was conducted on December 20-21, 2008 in a total of 153 Russian cities and towns in 46 regions, and involved a sample of 1600 respondents.
