9 August 2000
DAILY REVIEW FROM TATARSTAN
Tatar Public Center Urges 'Revival Of Tatarstan's Sovereignty'
The moderate nationalist Tatar Public Center (TPC) delivered a draft titled "Act on reviving the declared independence of Tatarstan and establishing equal relations based on treaties with Russian Federation and other independent states," to the republic's president, Mintimer Shaimiev, an RFE/RL correspondent in Kazan reported on 8 August. Copies of the draft law were reportedly sent to Tatarstan's State Council chairman, Farit Mukhametshin, and parliamentary deputies.
The draft act offers to revive the state independence of Tatarstan declared on 30 August 1990, establish equal interstate relations with Russia and other independent states, and appeals to the parliaments of other ethnic republics of the Volga-Ural region with an initiative on forming a confederative union.
The TPC stated that its draft act was inspired by the recent ruling of the Russian Constitutional Court, which abolished the term "sovereignty" in the legislation of the republics within the Russian Federation. The TPC suggests that its draft act should be considered by Tatarstan's State Council. The Center noted that the endorsement of this act "would give the people of Tatarstan more confidence in the perspectives of the republic's sovereignty, especially on the eve of its 10th anniversary."
New Russian Representative Appointed At KamAZ
Russian Deputy Premier Ilya Klebanov visited Tatarstan's second city of Chally on 8 August, reportedly to represent the interests of the Russian Federation in front of the KamAZ automotive works' board of directors. Tatarstan's premier, Rustam Minnikhanov, accompanied Klebanov during an inspection of KamAZ workshops.
Later that day, a meeting of the KamAZ board of directors elected Klebanov as its chairman. Tatar President Mintimer Shaimiev thanked the old board and its chairman, Russian Deputy Premier Andrei Shapovalyants, for organizing the unprecedented restructuring of the company's $1.1 billion in debts.
In a speech, Klebanov thanked the board for its trust and characterized KamAZ as an industrial enterprise of vital importance to Russia. He said "the automotive giant is destined for success and will become a leader of the Russian automotive industry."
Tatarstan's Muslim Leader To Consider Religious Education Issues
Tatarstan's Muslim board chairman, Gusman khazrat Iskhaqi, went to the Drozhzhanovski region of Tatarstan on 9 August to join a meeting of Muslim mullahs from the region and discuss problems related to primary religious education, Tatarinform reported the same day.
By Iskender Nurmi