Majority of proposed amendments "against constitution"

The majority of the hundreds of proposed amendments to Russia's 1997 law on religion - including the introduction of the term "traditional religion" - cannot be adopted because they contradict the country's constitution, Andrei Sebentsov, vice-chairman of the government's Commission for Religious Associations and chairman of the working group currently considering them, told Keston News Service on 28 November. Amendments have been suggested by subjects of the Russian Federation, as well as by the Commission for Religious Affairs and members of the working group.