6 July 2001
DAILY REVIEW FROM TATARSTAN
Duma Vote Will Allow Shaimiev To Run for Fourth Term
The Duma on 4 July passed by 247 to 38 a law reducing from 69 to 10 the number of regional leaders able to stand for reelection for the third and fourth times, "Kommersant" reported. Interfax reported that Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, governors of Tver oblast Vladimir Platov, Sakhalin Igor Fakhrutdinov, Astrakhan Anatoly Guzhvin can run for third terms and Tatarstan President Mintimer Shaimiev, heads of Kabardino-Balkaria Valery Kokov, Kalmykia Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, Komi Yuri Spiridonov, Leningrad oblast Valery Serdyukov, and Novgorod oblast Mikhail Prusak are allowed to run for the fourth time. But "Ekho Moskvy" on 5 July cited Valery Goreglyad, the coordinator of the Federation Council's Federation group, as saying that the Federation Council will undoubtedly reject the amendment because it is "destabilizing."
TURKSOI To Join Preparations For Kazan Millenium
Culture Minister Ildus Tarkhanov took part in a meeting of the Turkic countries cultural organization TURKSOI council in Izmir, Tatar-inform reported on 4 July. Ministers from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Bashkortostan, Gagauz Republic, Tyva, Khakassia, and North Cyprus also attended the meeting. The forum discussed participation of TURKSOI in the preparations for the Kazan millenium celebration.
Tatarstan Children Participate in Turkic-Tatar Festival in Crimea
Children from Tatarstan will take part in the international Turkic-Tatar festival Suyumbike's successors that opens in Yalta on 8 July to develop national cultural traditions and friendly relations between children from different countries, Tatar-inform reported. More than 300 participants from Russia, Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, Dagestan, Kazakhstan, Karelia, Komi, Crimea, Latvia, Litva, Mordovia, Udmurtia, Uzbekistan, and Ukraine are slated to take part.
Cooperative Societies Become Profitable
Valentin Yermakov, the chairman of the Russian consumer cooperative societies Central Union, on 5 July told a Russian-wide radio conference that Tatarstan's consumer cooperative societies are the best in Russia, Tatar-inform reported. President Mintimer Shaimiev said that the consumer cooperatives in the republic are now profitable.
International Journalist Association Calls on Tatarstan Branch to Boycott Mediaunion
The Tatarstan Journalists Union received a letter from Aidan White, the secretary general of the International Journalist Association (IJA) in Brussels, calling for it to show solidarity with the Russian Journalist Union (RJU), Tatar-inform reported on 5 July. White wrote that the IJA Seoul Congress has supported the RJU's struggle for independence during the setting up the competing organization Mediaunion that is financed by government-owned companies. He calls on the IJA members to boycott a Mediaunion conference due to be held in mid-July and to support RJU. He noted that creation of Mediaunion as well as of a new youth organization reflects an attempt to form an alternative pro-governmental civil society in Russia while RJU faces persecutions because of its efforts against governmental control over information. Meanwhile, however, the Tatarstan regional organization "The first free generation" under the patronage of the chief federal inspector in Tatarstan is setting up a republic guild of student media within the framework of the Russian Mediaunion.
New Interior Unit Sent To Chechnya
Tatarstan Television reported on 5 July that 270 republic interior ministry employees have left for Chechnya to replace the detachment that had served there for three months. During a month of training, they have been taught courses in shooting, fighting skills, as well as geography, history, and political system of Chechnya, communications with republic residents, and the Chechen hierarchy.
Arkhangelsk Hosts Sabantui
The Arakhangelsk regional Tatar national-cultural autonomy has organized a celebration of national holiday Sabantui, "Arkhangelsk oblast vedomosti" reported on 4 July.
Compiled by Gulnara Khasanova
DAILY REVIEW FROM BASHKORTOSTAN
China to Provide Telecommunications for Ufa
The Chinese Huawei Technologies has won an order for the construction of modern telecommunications network on the basis of the Ufa telephone network, Interfax reported on 5 July.
Legislature Proceeds with Harmonization
The parliament on 5 July amended laws on animals, on libraries, on administrative-territorial system, on prevention of infectious diseases, and the Electoral Code. It also passed on the first reading the law on local state authority bodies.
Federal Official Wants Bashkortostan to Prevent Economic Crimes
Mikhail Fradkov, the head of the Federal Tax Police Service, said that the service's Bashkortostan board is among the best in Russia, aromi.ru reported on 5 July. At the same time, he said that the situation with economical crimes in Russia remains "complex" and that Bashkortostan is not an exclusion in this respect.
Left Forces Protest Labor Code
Bashkortostan's several left-wing public organizations held a meeting in Ufa protesting the draft Labor Code, Bashinform reported on 5 July. Participants adopted a resolution calling labor people to unite in the fight for their rights and addressed it to the Duma, President Murtaza Rakhimov, and the republic parliament.
Bashkirenergo's Property Seized
The Bashkortostan Bailiff Service has seized 120 million rubles ($4.1 million) worth of property of Bashkirenergo at the request of the Russia's UES, strana.ru reported on 5 July. The UES press service said that the company is "satisfied" with the efforts by the new leaders of the republic Bailiff Service. The electricity monopoly repeatedly stated that Bashkirenergo owes it 199.5 million rubles of subscriber's fees, but the latter being an independent company from the UES disagrees with it saying that it does not fully use its services.
Bashkortostan Tatars Seek to Join Tatar Latinization Program
Radik Sibagatov, the head of the Bashkortostan State University's Tatar language department, called on Tatarstan's intelligentsia and the authorities to stop arguing about alphabet and orthographic rules and to introduce as soon as possible Tatar Latin script, RFE/RL's Tatar-Bashkir service reported on 4 July. He said that Tatarstan should promote agreements with authorities of territorial entities outside the republic where Tatars live so that to involve Tatar schools there in the process of the Tatar latinization.
Compiled by Gulnara Khasanova