Vladimir Putin abolishes system of elected governors
At today's extraordinary government session, Russian president Vladimir Putin presented huge structural changes in the Russian state system. From now on, Putin will himself appoint regional governors. The president says the abolishment of the system of elected regional leaders is motivated by a growing need for anti-terrorist coordination.
-It is impossible to talk, and even think, about the recent terrorist act in
Beslan without getting tears in ones eyes, Putin said. He countinued: - But only
compassion is not enough, we have to act and in a cardinal way reassess the
mechanisms of state power in Russia.
Russian re-centralisation of power
Invited to the government session were all the heads of the 89 Russian federal subjects. In addition, the cabinet ministers were present. So were also the heads of the presidential adminstration, the Russian General Prosecutor, Vladimir Ustinov, and head of the FSB, Nikolai Petrushev.
According to the Internet site Newsru.com, Putin's "revolution" comes down to the following: 1)Restructure the state power with the goal to make any crisis situation impossible. 2) All heads of the federal subjects will be elected only after the approval of the president. 3) A new proportional election system will be applied in the Russian parliament, meaning that there will be no more so-called one-mandate deputies. 4) A special federal commission for the North Caucasus will be established. 5) Any extremist organisation, which could pose a terrorist threat, will be banned.
New era in Russian politics
The newspaper Izvestia writes that the restructuring of the Russian state system comes as a direct consequence of the looming terrorist threats. The newspaper argues that stronger security and new restrictions in the the North Caucasus alone are not enough, and that any part of the country can be attacked.
Head of the Russian Institute of Political Studies, Sergei Markov, says the liquidation of direct governor's elections will lead to less political authority for the regional administrations and to a serious hampering of pluralism in the country as a whole.
Vyacheslav Nikonov, head of the Politika Fund, questions to what extent the new policy is in correspondence with the Russian Constitution and the principles of Russian federalism. -After all, he notes, elected governors are characteristic of federal states. At the same time he stresses that the former president Boris Yeltsin himself appointed all governors the first years after the adoption of the 1993 constitution.
What comes next?
It can be argued that Putin's new regional 'anti-terrorist' measure to some extent is a natural continuation of the policies adopted the last 5 years. The power of regional leaders and the federation subjects has been seriously restricted by a number of new laws. His streamlining of power relations in Moscow has echoed the "verticalisation" of region-centre relations. The federal subjects have had to deal with a major dillution of their power basis, both at home in the subjects, and in federal institutions like the Federation Council.
What will come next remains is an open question. Few deared to predict the abolishment of the system of popularly elected governors. After today, hardly anybody will any longer exclude the possibility of further fundamental changes in the federal structure, like for example the number of federal subjects. At least, Putin can do whatever he wants. In the regions, his power more monolitic than ever.
Democracy in the Russian regions might be experiencing its worst crisis in Post-Soviet Russia. Russian democratical institutions are weakly developed, especially in the regions. Thus, Putin's revolution from above, is unlikely to meet popular rebellion from below.
By Atle Staalesen
BarentsObserver.com, 13 September 2004
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