I’m becoming more and more convinced how important it is to meet the voters in person. In fact, I think that this is one of the basic duties of a Duma deputy. The more trips you make to the regions, the better, and the better you will understand what’s going on there. It’s one thing reading paperwork and trying to understand an issue through documents, but quite another to have a personal meeting with somebody who needs your help. Somebody who, let me add, has every right to count on my help because he voted for me.
Duma deputies often have a very full diary, but the State Duma timetable sets aside time specifically for visits to the region (known as “regional week”). So no matter how busy I might be, I never cancel meetings with voters. I have local assistants, of course, and they help me to keep in contact with the voters and solve some problems themselves, but their work is no a substitute for mine.
Let me also say that it’s important not only to collect petitions from voters, but to follow them up and get results. To provide specific assistance to specific people, rather than indulging in psychotherapy.