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NASHA VLAST:
DELA I LITSA ANNUAL DIGEST 2004 |
November
FEDERAL CENTER
Presidential Administration
Democracy without doubtsForeigners often are rather critical about political processes underway in Russia. As of recently we faced especially bitter portions of such criticism. Sergey Samoylov, an aide to the Russian president, was sent to Strasbourg to explain the stance of the Russian leadership. His report at a meeting of the Council of Europe’s Congress of Local and Regional Authorities was entitled “On the situation with local and regional democracies in the Russian Federation”. It is worth mentioning that Samoylov was one of the architects of Russia’s administrative reform. |
In the beginning of his address Mr. Samoylov dwelled on tne legal basis of the reform. He mentioned a federal law that was approved last summer. The law introduced amendments to 154 federal laws dealing with common powers of the federal center and the regions.
The authoritative assembly of European politicians then leant about objectives of a commission for the perfection of state administration set up by a presidential decree of July 16, 2004. The commission was designed to coordinate activities of consulting bodies under the president and the government in the issues of state administration as well as to draft proposals how to optimize the executive branch structure, to avoid similarity of functions and powers of the federal center and regional authorities, to limit interference of the state into business activities of Russia’s regions and how to develop the system of economic self-regulating organization. Noteworthy, Mr. Samoylov holds the position of the executive secretary of the commission’s working group for the matters of federalism and local self-government. He briefed the assembly on functions of the Ministry for Regional Development created by President Vladimir Putin’s decree on September 13. Speaking on changes in the procedure of political power formation in this country, the presidential aide stressed that direct elections of regional governors today is not the best way to organize a regional government operating in harmony with the federal center and interests of all citizens. The main reason behind this is acute contradictions between some ruling clans and ethnic groups in Russia’s constituent republics. The proposed system of governors’ election by regional legislatures upon nomination by the president and elections to the State Duma lower house of parliament based strictly on party lists correspond well to the task of switching Russia to a two- or three-party system. The leader of a party winning elections to a regional legislature will only naturally bid for the post of the regional governor. The new principle of building a single vertical of the executive power will add efficiency to the implementation of major social projects announced by the Russian president. Noteworthy, political elite in Russia’s various regions has different approaches to these projects. Meanwhile, Mr. Samoylov said he was positive that in spite of some governors’ desire to influence elections or even to appoint heads of local administration, the reform will violate neither the Constitution of the Russian Federation, nor the Federal law on local self-government, nor the European Charter of Local Self-Government. All the aforesaid proves that over the past decade Russia has done much to create a legal basis and a system of government that rule out any doubts that this country adheres to democratic values and procedures. However, it has still a long and difficult way to go in order to make them work properly. Prepared by Natalia KONOPLYOVA |
