1 December 2000
DAILY REVIEW FROM TATARSTAN
Electoral Committee Proposes Amendments To President's Election Law
Tatarstan's Central Election Committee proposed a legislative initiative on amending the republican law on presidential elections, Tatar-inform reported on 29 November. The Committee adopted and addressed to the Tatarstan State Council amendments according to which the paragraph of the law allowing for a postponement or the bringing up of the elections by three months should be removed. Another proposal makes it possible to participate in republican presidential elections not only for the republican but for Russian-wide political public associations and movements as well.
Tatar President Mintimer Shaimiev's second term expires in March. In September, the State Council fixed the presidential elections for 24 December, arguing that the republican presidential election law allows them to move the date up or down by three months. At an extraordinary session in October, the parliament abolished its own previous decision and returned the initial elections date ordered by the republican constitution.
KamAZ To Form Holding And Open Assembly In Crimea
The KamAZ truck concern deputy general-manager, Eduard Rapnitski, said on 30 November that the company considers a possibility of starting a holding company as one of possible variants to reform its management structure, PRIME-TASS reported. Rapnitski told the International Automobile Conference that all KamAZ plants have already become independent joint-stock companies in which the KamAZ has controlling interest.
A joint Russian-Ukrainian truck company is planned to be set up in Crimea with the participation of KamAZ, Tatar-inform reported on 30 November. The first assembly line will be opened at the Sivash airline plant, which is located on the territory of the North Crimean experimental economic zone. The project will reportedly decrease the trucks' cost by some 20 percent when compared to import prices.
Duma Committee Backs Draft Proposed By Tatarstan Parliament
The State Duma Economic Policy Committee has recommended that the Russian parliament's lower chamber adopt on the first reading a draft law on amendments abolishing tobacco advertising, which was proposed by Tatarstan's State Council, AKM reported on 30 November. The Tatar deputies consider numerous advertisements of tobacco companies to be one of the reasons for the sharp rise in the number of smokers. The Russian government, however, made a negative conclusion to the draft law. Aleksei Gordeev, the deputy premier and agriculture minister, was cited as saying that full banning of tobacco advertising could restrict consumers' rights.
Kazan Kremlin Becomes World Heritage Site
The Kazan Kremlin was included in the UNESCO list of world heritage sites, ITAR-TASS reported on 30 November citing the UN Paris headquarters on educational, scientific, and cultural issues. The decision was adopted at an Australian meeting of the World Heritage Committee, where some 60 new names were added to the world heritage list. It currently consists of about 700 places and structures in 122 countries.
By Gulnara Khasanova