Posted on 04/04/2006 2:18:21 PM PDT by b2stealth
Mayors Deprived of Authority // The Vertical of Power
The Kremlin has found a way to include mayors in the vertical of power without formally violating the constitutional requirement of the independence of local self-governance from organs of state authority.
Today the State Duma council will examine amendments to the federal laws “On the General Principles of Organization of the Legislative and Executive Organs of State Authority in the Russian Federation” and “On the General Principles of Organization of Local Self-Governance in the Russian Federation.” The amendments, written by United Russia Party members Vladimir Mokry, Vladimir Zhidkikh and Alexey Ogonkov, will allow governors to deprive inconvenient mayors of the majority of their authority and practically take the management of regional capitals on themselves. The document will be distributed to the subjects of the federation for examination this week. The draft amendments allow regions “temporarily to exercise individual authorities of organs of local self-governance of settlements and city districts that are the administrative centers of subjects of the Russian Federation for the purpose to guaranteeing unity in life support, communications and other infrastructure systems.” Mayors can be deprived of up to ten authorities, including organization of heating, gas, electric and water services, management of domestic waste, building and maintaining roads and bridges, transportation services, establishing rights to land use and control over land use. The meaning of “temporary” is to be determined legislatively by the regions.
Mokry, head of the Duma Committee on Issue of Local Self-Governance, explained that “We're not saying that it's mandatory. But, in the case of deterioration of the quality of the services provided to the population, organs of state authorities should have the same responsibility as local self-governance. It is a question of competence and the correct spending of funds. Local self-governance should confirm its work though efficiency.” Kommersant has obtained information indicating that a number of Kremlin officials stand behind the initiative, including presidential chief of staff and former governor of Tyumen Region Sergey Sobyanin. The Kremlin also freely admits that the amendments will make it possible to control uncooperative mayors of wealthy donor cities who come into conflict with regional governors.
Governors have been attempting to gain control over the mayors of their capital cities since the institution of popular mayoral elections. That effort has gain momentum n regions where governors have been appointed by the president and not elected themselves. Incorporating municipalities in the vertical of power would require constitutional changes, however, which Russian President Vladimir Putin has said is impermissible. The appointment of mayors is also a violation of the European Convention on Local Self-Governance, which would cause Russian problems with the Council of Europe. A “temporary” transfer of power is not a de facto violation of the Constitution, even though the term of that transfer is left to the discretion of the head of the federation subject. The law already allows such transfer in cases of natural disaster, or when a municipality has overdue debts that exceed 30 percent of its income or state subventions are misspent. Representatives of the opposition characterized the law as a way for governors to punish politically disloyal mayors.
by Natalia Gorodetskaya, Viktor Khamraev
All the Article in Russian as of Apr. 04, 2006 http://www.kommersant.ru/doc.html?docId=663300
Think Globally and Take Locally.
All of that oil money flowing in is going to help him become more of a player in the global economy.
Maybe he needs some Muslim terrorism to happen in his backyard to wide him up a little to getting in bed with Iran.
Putin & his KGB buddies are taking over - first Governors and now this..
Somewhere, jb6 is smiling.
Putin just needs to be coronated as Tsar and everything from the Communist revolution will be wiped out.
Isnt that kind of ....communistic.????
Putin's making the same mistake as so many others have before him -- he thinks he can appease Islamists and avoid being in their crosshairs.
Seems to be a certain nostalgia over there for the "Good Ol' Days" of the USSR, Five Year Plans, and the Cold War.
MOTTI
Dangerous to your starfleet,
Commander; not to this battle
station!
TAGGE
The Rebellion will continue to
gain support in the Imperial
Senate as long as....
Suddenly all heads turn as Commander Tagge's speech is cut short and the Grand Moff Tarkin, governor of the Imperial outland regions, enters. He is followed by his powerful ally, The Sith Lord, Darth Vader. All of the generals stand and bow before the thin, evil-looking governor as he takes his place at the head of the table. The Dark Lord stands behind him.
TARKIN
The Imperial Senate will no longer
be of any concern to us. I've
just received word that the Emperor
has dissolved the council permanently.
The last remnants of the Old Republic
have been swept away.
TAGGE
That's impossible! How will the
Emperor maintain control without
the bureaucracy?
TARKIN
The regional governors now have
direct control over territories.
Fear will keep the local systems
in line. Fear of this battle station.
Is there anyone who still questions whether Russia never really became a democratic country?
April 15, 2004
Putin is recruiting cossacks
Author: Sergei Petukhov, Pavel Korobov
Source: Kommersant, April 13, 2005, p. 4
On April 12 the Duma received a federal bill on state service for Russian Cossacks,submitted by President Vladimir Putin. Once this legislation is passed, Russia's 600,000 Cossacks will be officially entitled to participate in guarding state borders,maintaining law and order, and even fighting terrorism.
Lev Ponomarev, executive director of the For Human Rights movement, said that defenders of human rights monitor government's attempts to pass the new law on the Cossacks, which makes liberal people worry. Mr. Ponomarev said: "It's hard to deny the people's will to unite. If they want to protect the border let them do this as contract servicemen. However, the intention to let them control the situation in the country causes us concern. Experience shows that Cossacks have some peculiar views on law and order."
It was a Mayor that stopped the pro-communist attempted coup on Gorby.
It's pretty hard to build a world dominating country when that country's fertility rates are half the replacement rate. Russia is predicted to lose net 50 million of its people by 2050.
The absence of political culture in Russia (thanks to 75 years of Communism) requires a heavy hand. It's a paradox, but nothing short of authoritarianism will work over there.
"Russia is predicted to lose net 50 million of its people by 2050."
Hmmmm, it looks like a massive guest worker program (from China) is in Russia's future...
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