Demonstrators protested outside Russia's parliament building Tuesday as deputies prepared to vote on a controversial shake-up of the country's Soviet-designed benefits system.
As the second and most important reading of the reforms got under way, independent deputies complained that the complex legislation, likely to impact at least 40 million Russians who live in poverty, was being rushed through with minimal consultation.
The process of considering the legislation and the introduction of thousands of additional amendments "violates all parliamentary principles," independent deputy Gennady Seleznyov was quoted by the ITAR-TASS news agency as saying.
"The amendments introduced in the second reading are of a cosmetic character that make little fundamental difference," Seleznyov said.
At the heart of the legislation is the introduction of cash payments in place of tangible benefits such as free electricity and free use of public transport for the sick, pensioners and veterans of war and the clean-up at the Chernobyl nuclear plant that exploded in 1986.
Though viewed with suspicion by Russia's poor, the reforms are almost certain to be approved as they are backed by President Vladimir Putin and the pro-government deputies that dominate the Duma.
Supporters argue that the reforms will enable social assistance to be directed to where it is most needed and relieve an overwhelming burden on the state, while opponents fear that the cash payments system will be whittled away by inflation and bureaucratic fiddles.
Outside Russia's parliament some of those likely to be affected waved placards and yelled their complaints through megaphones.
Deputies were due to vote on the crucial second reading of the legislation late on Tuesday, leaving one more reading for a future Duma session.