United Russia Party expecting evidence from police regarding lawmaker incident

The United Russia Party is expecting evidence from law-enforcement bodies regarding the incident which involved head of the parliament's committee for labor and social policy Andrei Isayev, first deputy head of the Party's parliament faction Nikolai Bulayev told reporters on Wednesday. Media reports said Isayev staged affray on board a plane which had to fly from St. Petersburg to Moscow on Tuesday evening and that he and his aide were removed from the flight. "This situation must be clarified," Bulayev said, adding that all the reports so far had been based on the account of the incident given by one person who allegedly witnessed it. "Law-enforcement bodies have no official documents on the matter yet. We'll look into it once they appear. Their evidence will make groundwork for the check," he went on. Bulayev promised to a thorough probe "looking into every detail." United Russia has no untouchables, so Andrei Isayev cannot rely on his position to protect him, he said. Earlier in the day, Secretary of the Party's General Council, deputy speaker of the lower house of the Russian parliament Sergei Neverov said the Party would demand an explanation from Isayev regarding his involvement in the Tuesday incident on board a plane. "The incident involving Andrei Isayev is very unpleasant for us. We'll ask him to offer explanations," Neverov said. "While setting higher requirements for Party members, their statements and actions, we must begin with ourselves." He promised "a serious reaction" to the incident. Isayev chairs the parliament's committee for labor and social policy. He is deputy secretary of United Russia's General Council.