| The Russian Democratic Party YABLOKO assesses the measures
proposed by the President of the RF at the expanded meeting of the Cabinet
as short-sighted.
As the President virtually completely controls the regional authorities
today, the legislative decision to appoint the heads of the regions without
changing anything in essence, marks a step to revise the Constitution
of Russia.
The intension to abolish direct elections of the heads of the Russian
Federation subjects will result in an even greater gap between the authorities
and citizens and enhance centrifugal trends in a number of regions. The
return to the unitary system of control over the regions will not help
to increase the efficiency of the anti-terrorism drive or the establishment
of law and order in the law and enforcement agencies.
The Russian Democratic Party YABLOKO calls on the President of the RF
to abolish the plan of dismantling the federative state in Russia and
will oppose these plans using all available lawful methods.
Chairman of the Russian Democratic Party YABLOKO
Grigory Yavlinsky
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Today, on September 13, 2004, the Russian Democratic Party YABLOKO has forwarded an application to the Prefect's Office of the Central Administrative District of Moscow on conducting jointly with human rights organisations and political parties of a meeting against President Putin's anti-constitutional initiatives.
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