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Tatar-Bashkir Report: December 26, 2001


26 December 2001
DAILY REVIEW FROM TATARSTAN
Constitution Court Obliges Tatar Court To Revise Its Ruling
After considering the suit of Tatarstan's Equality and Legality [RiZ] movement activists Alexander Shtanin, Ildus Sultanov and Marat Khafizov on 25 December, Russian Constitution Court issued a ruling which said that article 208 of part 2 in the Russian Civil Code contradicted federal constitution by saying that it was impossible to protest the court resolutions except in cases connected with election of referendum results. Previously the group appealed to Tatarstan's Supreme court claiming that 56 regional administration heads and members of republican government had no right to be deputies of the Tatar State Council, because they already represented the executive branch of power. On 8 February 2001 the Supreme Council rejected their suit and later refused to reconsider the case referring to the Civil Code's provision. According the terms of 25 December resolution of the Constitution Court, Tatar Court will have to consider the RiZ complaint. In interviews with Russian and Tatar media during this year State Council speaker Farit Mukhametshin admitted that the next State Council will not involve representatives of executive branch of power, emphasizing that the dissolution of present Council would destabilize the political situation in TR. Meanwhile RiZ leaders have numerously stated their intention to "dissolve" the State Council and revise all the documents adopted by the illegal body.

Gazprom Agrees To Supply More Gas To Tatarstan
President Mintimer Shaimiev met the head of Russian Gazprom monopoly Alexey Miller on 25 December to discuss the increase of gas supplies to Tatarstan up to 15-15,5 billion cubic meters. Sides have agreed on closer cooperation between Gazprom and oil-chemical companies of Tatarstan in order to boost the gas supplies to the industrial giants. After the meeting Miller told the reporters that "it is very important for us to develop our cooperation with Tatarstan in the aspect of deeper corporate connections and increasing the raw material supplies for the republic's oil-chemical complex."

Gaz Networks Development Program Shuts The Door For 14% Of Tatarstan's Farms
14 per cent of Tatarstan's farms in Agryz, Apas, Kaybich, Kama Tamagi region will have to rely on their own funds for building gas supply networks in 2002 because the corresponding republican program taking effect from 1996 is to be closed this year. Executive director of the gas networks development fund Jaudat Minnakhmetov said on 25 December that farmers will have to blame their local administration heads who "acted too slow thus dooming the residents to heat their homes with wood and coal for years on."

New Kazan-produced Aircraft To Begin International Flights
Tu-214 aircraft produced by Kazan Aircraft Plant is to begin regular international flights from Khabarovsk to Japan, China, South Korea from March 2002, Dalavia air company's press service reported on 2 December. According to the company's top managers, Dalavia planned to purchase 6 more such airplanes.

Kazan, Tatarstan Blamed For High Traffic Accidents Rate
According to the reports at the meeting of Tatarstan's transport and roads ministry officials and traffic safety commission on 25 December, the republic occupied 3rd position in the Russia's black list of regions with most frequent traffic accidents. The list is reportedly topped by Moscow and Moscow oblast. Unlike Kazan Tatarstan's second city Chally with its modern system of roads has the lowest traffic accidents statistics in the republic.

Tatarstan's Representative Joins The Holiday Event Of Washington's Tatar Community
Tatar community in Washington, D.C. gathered on 22 December to for a traditional event marking the Ramadan holiday and the coming new year. Tatarstan's permanent representative in the US Lenar Latipov joined the celebrations and greeted the community members on the behalf of Tatarstan's people.

HIV Reported To Grow Drastically This Year
First deputy minister of healthcare Niyaz Galiullin said on 25 December that the number of HIV carriers increased by 30-40 times in Tatarstan this year and reached 4004 of which one third live in Kazan. 13 babies were given birth by HIV positive mothers in 2001, 7 babies are expected to be born in 2002.

Pedagogical University Rector Dismissed
Rector of the Kazan State Pedagogical University Rauzal Uysupov was sacked "for repeated violation of his duties" by the Russian Education Minister Vladimir Philippov's order, Vechernaya Kazan reported on 24 December. Yusupov is reportedly accused on misappropriating over 2 million rubles [$66 thousand] of his university's funds in 1999-2000 and setting improperly high salaries for himself. Former rector denies all accusations.

Compiled by Iskender Nurmi

DAILY REVIEW FROM BASHKORTOSTAN
Rakhimov Praises Putin�s Decision To Let Regions Decide On Parole�
President Murtaza Rakhimov on 25 December called president Putin�s decision to transfer the right of granting parole to convicts to the regional governments �a correct move.� He told Interfax-Eurasia that this demonstrated Putin�s trust to the governors and leaders of the republics. In Rakhimov�s words, regional parole commissions can correct the decisions of courts more effectively than the former commission under Russian president. Bashkortostan and Tatarstan were the only Russian regions with their own parole bodies before their commissions were taken by Moscow in 2000.

�Gets Ready To Report This Year�s Achivements And Plans For 2002�
President Rakhimov issued a decree on forming a working Commission for preparing his message to the Bashkir State Assembly for 2002 and the report on republic�s social and economic situation in 2001.Bashkorotstan�s state secretary Faukat Kidrasov was appointed to head the commission.

...Awards A Little Hero Girl
On 25 December president Rakhimov presented a 20 thousand rubles [$670] bank deposit to Nastya Desyatkina, 4-year old girl from Birsk region who carried her 3-years old brother and 1-year old sister away from their house when it was on fire in November, 2001. Regional administration will reportedly help the family to get a new home.

Bashkir Energy Producers Prepare For Higher Natural Gas Prices
General director of Bashkirenergo Nikolay Kurapov said on 26 December that in next 10-15 years his company would radically re-equip Bashkortostan�s power plants by introducing more energy-saving technologies. He said that the move is motivated by the expectations of natural gas price hikes.

Compiled by Iskender Nurmi
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