| Regional leaders unanimously welcomed the reform, proposed
by Putin. The business community, however, has certain concerns
The abolition of direct popular elections of the governors was welcomed
yesterday only by the regional leaders themselves, the pro-Kremlin party
United Russia and Vladimir Zhirinovsky's nationalist LDPR. Oppositionpoliticians
believe Vladimir Putin has exploited the tragedy in Beslan to tighten the Kremlin's grip over all aspects of life in Russia,
while the business community is ready to support the reform, albeit with
certain reservations.
Governors welcoming Putin's proposal to appoint regional leaders included
Yaroslavl governor Anatoly Lisitsyn, the President of Tatarstan Mintimer
Shaimiyev, Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov and others.
Some politicians also supported the reform. "At present government
in Russia is like fruit jelly, while it should be like well-roasted piece
of meat, the people will like it," Interfax quotes LDPR leader Vladimir
Zhirinovsky as saying. His colleague, also LDPR deputy Aleksey Mitrofanov, recalled modestly that Putin "is implemented the proposals
submitted by the LDPR ten years ago."
Duma's deputy chairman Vyacheslav Volodin (United Russia) stated yesterday
that the lawmakers would support the President's proposals.
But the opposition was outraged at the planned reform. "This way,
under the pretext of another terrorist attack we may end up abolishing
presidential and parliamentary elections," said the deputy chairman
of Yabloko Sergey Mitrokhin.
"The Kremlin has exploited the tragedy in Beslan to implement its
old plans, - reform of the electoral system [Putin also proposed yesterday
to abolish the elections of deputies from single-mandate constituencies
and elect the entire State Duma through proportional party list vote]
was announced before the terrorist attacks, and the appointment of governors
has also been the Kremlin's long-time goal. All these measures have nothing
to do with countering terrorism," said the State Duma's independent
deputy Vladimir Ryzhkov.
The business community yesterday neither unanimously welcomed, nor
criticized the Putin's political initiatives. Some fear that with governors
being appointed from the Kremlin, businessmen will be unable to influence
regional authorities and will have to solve problems in Moscow. This situation will probably play into the hands of large Moscow-based
companies, while weakening regional ones.
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