President's title: Tatarstan opposes Moscow. An outsider's view.

 President's title: Tatarstan opposes Moscow. An outsider's view.

While Moscow is waging war in Ukraine, it is trying to deprive the national republics of the symbolic status of independence. A man who is intimidated in a war will not speak his mind. However, unexpectedly, Tatarstan decided to negotiate. What does this mean and how it can end - Freedom asked the opinion of experts.   Starting from 2023, the status of president will be canceled in Tatarstan. This is Russian law. Moscow has been demanding this since 2014. There is no such term in other national republics. In Russia, only Tatarstan has preserved it. This protracted work should have been put to an end, but suddenly the parliament of Tatarstan objected. There have not been such fiery speeches in parliament since 2017. The deputies expressed their opinion that they do not like the term "commander-in-chief" one after another, but let it remain as it is, to whom it interferes. Such talk about Tatarstan was perceived as a rebellion in Russia and in the world, and among the Tatars they were regarded as a sale of positions and a retreat. Speeches in the parliament of Tatarstan concerned exclusively the name of the president. As a result of the vote, Rustam Minnikhanov will retain the post of president of Tatarstan until the end of his presidential term, that is, until 2025. A new leader will then be elected as the "Rais (Arabic word - chairman) of the Republic". At the meeting of the parliament, it was explained that in the last presidential elections the people voted for the president of the republic, there was neither "head" nor "chairman". As they say, both the sheep are alive and the wolves are full, the name of the republic will be changed, but it will come into force later.   They did not affect other articles of the Constitution. It is not clear when and how the issue of getting rid of “sovereignty”, “the president must know two state languages”, “propaganda of war in Tatarstan is prohibited” and other articles of the constitution will be considered.   Experts living outside of Tatarstan positively assess this decision of the republic's parliament and explain that Tatarstan has chosen a strategy to somehow extend the time. The Freedom spoke to several experts.   Scientist Vil Mirzayanov, who positions himself as the head of the government of Tatarstan in exile, believes that after the withdrawal of the language, the release of the status of president became obvious and expected. He says that the Tatars, one by one, got used to such losses. In his opinion, at the moment the parliament of Tatarstan has chosen the strategy of dragging out the issue.   - In Russia it is more difficult to resist and speak, because there is a fascist regime there, but you can express your thoughts in the language of Aesop. Today I am more interested in what Tatarstan thinks about the recognition of the independence of the republic by the Rada of Ukraine, and what it plans to do in this direction. It does not matter much to adhere to such concepts as sovereignty, the institution of the president, the president's knowledge of two languages. True, these are symbols, for Tatars, for Tatarstan people it is important, - shares the opinion of Vil Mirzayanov.  With the replacement of the president by the chairman, the Tatar national identity will not disappear. By the way, the word "Rais (Arabic word - chairman)" is not a very bad option, it has a deep meaning and oddly enough. In this case, I positively assess the resistance of the Tatarstan parliament. This act of the Tatars caused outrage among Russian chauvinists, they write that they are being deceived. Tatarstan is dragging out this issue, I think such a strategy has been chosen. It is unknown what will happen in a year or two.   "Putin brought the Tatars to their knees"   The leader of the Volga-Ural movement Rafis Kashapov, who recognized himself as Deputy chairman of the Government of Tatarstan in exile, considers and evaluates this positively. He said that the Tatarstan parliament is trying not to give up without a fight, which means that it understands that the situation can change quickly, and is trying to somehow preserve the republic. However, in his opinion, such a step in fascist Russia will not be forgiven and repressions by the federal center will still increase and the Constitution will still change.   - Despite the fact that the Parliament consists of deputies from the United Russia party, there are national minorities among them who disagree with the current state of affairs. There are people there who have seen the adoption of the Declaration of Sovereignty. Therefore, I think that some deputies will perceive these digressions as an insult to themselves. It's trampling youth. Yes, there are those who think about the pocket. 8 deputies spoke, someone played a game, someone spoke sincerely. He did not take part in the work of the parliament, but expressed the necessary opinions," Kashapov says. - The whole world is making noise that Tatarstan opposes Moscow, Ukraine is talking about it, Belarusian politicians are also commenting on it. In the current situation, this is regarded as courage.   Foreign countries are stifling sanctions, foreign experts predict that Russia will collapse because of the war, some even say that this could happen in 2025. I think Tatarstan is considering all this. Tatarstan is trying to act differently. However, I think Putin has brought Minnikhanov, Shaimiev, Mukhametshin and deputies to their knees. He brought the Tatars to their knees.   Kashapov believes that the institution of the president is important, but Constitutional sovereignty is even more important, the president must know two languages, the prohibition of military propaganda and other concepts. The lack of consideration of these articles, on the one hand, is encouraging, on the other hand, in his opinion, in the future, under pressure from Moscow, they will also disappear. "While the war is going on, the federal center will not take into account anything. If the leaders of Tatarstan protest, they will be immediately opened a criminal case on corruption, put them in jail, and maybe even kill them. Everyone will be arrested," Kashapov says.   Rafis Kashapov discussed this issue with Tatars abroad, with other opposition leaders, but due to the Christmas holidays in Europe, this work was suspended. "At the end of the New Year holidays, these problems will be considered, and outside activists, Tatars and other Turks will gather for discussion," he said.   "The people needed support"   The Tatar Public Center started a movement in support of the status of the President of Tatarstan back in 2014. He carried out various activities, ranging from writing letters and appeals to the Russian Duma and ending with the organization of pickets, street gatherings, round tables. The Tatar Community Center is currently considered an extremist organization in Russia, its chairman Farid Zakiyev is in exile in Turkey. He follows the movement in Tatarstan and believes that there is nothing terrible in changing the president to the chairman, on the contrary, he believes that it is about benefits. He says his status is high and his importance is great. Nevertheless, he was completely dissatisfied with the sitting in parliament.   - It was a show. If they were against making amendments to the Constitution of Tatarstan and renouncing the title of president, it would affect the vote. And only 3 deputies objected. Not 15 or 30? What were they afraid of? - he expressed his dissatisfaction. The struggle of Tatarstan is a positive phenomenon, but it is wrong for scientists, public figures, public organizations not to act on the basis of public organizations. People needed support.   American scientist Paul Goble, an expert on the post-Soviet space, told to Idel.Reality, that  is that Russian President Vladimir Putin specifically acts under cover during the war in Ukraine and wants to completely destroy Tatarstan.   The desire to destroy national republics is clear as day, and it is possible that it coincides with the war in Ukraine. Deputies are forced to change their status. They are being pushed to do this - and this is an insulting step of surrender, as a result, resistance will increase in the republic.  And Moscow's repressive machine will work even more powerfully, and they will justify that there is no other way. Putin has long wanted to put an end to the issue of national republics.   "The federal center is slowly bending"   An expert on federal relations, scholar Kamil Galiev believes that the situation between Tatarstan and the federal center under Putin's regime resembles a civil war. He says that, unlike other national republics within Russia, only Tatarstan fights for its rights and resists as much as possible.   — The Federal Center acts without undue pressure and has chosen the path to achieving its goals slowly. Refusing to take decisive steps, he prepares, trains and waits for public recognition of this or that phenomenon. First I took away one power, then the second, then the third — all this is done slowly and systematically. "Positive opinions are being created about the Moscow Kremlin, information is being disseminated, its legal steps are being explained to people," the scientist explains. - Moscow is losing in foreign policy, there is more and more negative information around Moscow. That is why the federal center wants to show that it is strong in domestic politics by overthrowing Tatarstan and depriving it of its powers.   Abolition of the title of President in Tatarstan • At the end of September 2021, a draft law "On general principles of public administration in the subjects of the Russian Federation" was submitted to the State Duma of the Russian Federation. He forces regional leaders to be called "head". The bill was submitted for consideration by the heads of the State Duma and Federation Council Committees on state Construction and legislation Pavel Krasheninnikov and Andrey Klishas. • On October 25, the State Council of Tatarstan unanimously voted against the bill. • However, the Russian Duma rejected Tatarstan's proposals. The bill was approved by the Federation Council and signed by the President of Russia. • In accordance with the law, resolutions of regional parliaments and governments on the abolition of the title of President of Tatarstan come into force on June 1, 2022. Some other provisions will come into force on January 1, 2023. • In the regions of Russia, the title of president remained only in Tatarstan. https://tatar-toz.blogspot.com/2022/12/presidents-title-tatarstan-opposes.html