25 November 1999
DAILY REVIEW FROM TATARSTAN
Shaimiev: Communists Gain In Criticism Of Fatherland--All Russia
Tatarstan's president, Mintimer Shaimiev, said on 24 November that some votes in the December State Duma elections may go to the Communists because of the criticism in the Russian press of the Fatherland--All Russia bloc. Shaimiev made his comments during a meeting with foreign journalists in Kazan. Shaimiev said there seems to be an impression that the Communist Party (KPRF) no longer exists and the Russian media are silent about it. Due to this, he said the KPRF will gain more votes. He said "I didn't assume that the campaign discrediting the Fatherland--All Russia bloc could be carried out in the form that it was. If the media is so usurped [in Russia] it says that we have advanced very little on the way toward freedom of speech." Shaimiev confirmed that Fatherland--All Russia was formed to participate in parliamentary elections and that remains its only task. He said "our aim is still to form a parliament consisting of less Communists and more centrist forces." According to Shaimiev's forecast, Fatherland--All Russia will gain 20 percent of the votes throughout Russia and 50 percent of them in Tatarstan.
Russian Officials Against Bashkortostan's Ban Of TV Programs
The Russian General-Prosecutor's Office appealed against the decision by Bashkortostan's parliament to ban the transmissions of Russian political programs by Sergei Dorenko and Nikolai Svanidze, Russian Radio reported on 24 November. The General-Prosecutor's Office considered the document adopted by the Bashkortostan deputies to have contradicted the Russian Constitution, and constituted an abuse of power by Bashkortostan's State Assembly. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was cited as saying that the action by the Bashkir parliament violates the constitution. Putin said he discussed the issue with Bashkortostan's president, Murtaza Rakhimov, and believes the issue will be solved in a positive way.
KamAZ's Business Plan Adopted
The KamAZ Board of Directors adopted a business plan for the truck company for 2000 during a meeting in Moscow, Tatar Television reported on 24 November. According to the plan, the volume of production will rise significantly next year, and new car models will be developed, among them a new tractor and a bus.
Finance Minister Comments On Tatarstan's Budget
Tatar Finance Minister Robert Musin said on 24 November that social expenditures for Tatarstan next year will go up 1.6 times compared to the 1999 level. Musin made his comments at a briefing in the Cabinet of Ministers. He said that the budget assumes the inflation rate will be 27 percent, and the budget deficit at 6 percent. Musin said that a 275 million ruble special-loan fund was created for the first time in next year's budget. It was reported that expenditures for the health sector, education, agriculture, and urban transport also will increase.
Compiled by Gulnara Khasanova