REFORM OF POWER: MERITS AND FLAWS

After almost a decade of feverish and low-efficiency transformations, Russia, at last, begins to implement one of the most crucial tasks - reforming the state power and administrative re-arrangement of the territory.

Vladimir Putin, in his message (08th July 2000) to the Federal Assembly, his first such message in the capacity of the President, which in essence has become an appeal to the nation on key matters of Russian peoples' life, was forced to admit that "in fact, we have established a centralised state". He underlined that, in the beginning of the 1990s, when the centre had given over too much to the regions, a somewhat forced policy was conducted, which allowed them to retain the Federation within its borders.

However, leaders of a number of subjects began to "test the strength" of the central power. Local self-governing in cities and villages, in turn, began to pull down powers. A situation developed when all levels - the centre and territories, regional and local leaders, and legislators began to compete with one another for power. Their mutual destruction was watched by those who benefit from disorder and high-handedness. The vacuum of power led to the interception of public authority's functions by private corporations and clans. The weakness of state authority reduced to zero the economic and other reforms. According to a figurative expression by A. Yakovlev, at present there are domination and dictatorship of bureaucrats in Russia. This nomenclature monster is as if a crocodile were eating up everything in its way - including meat, and paper, and decrees, and ideas.

Nowadays, active debates are taking place in society on the necessity, ways and trends of the power reform. A larger part of politics, regional leaders, and political scientists support this idea. Those who stand for the reform are convinced that in order to move forward and to not permit the country's collapse, a strong power, as well as its vertical and strong state, are needed.

But there are quite a number of those who give a hostile reception to the power reform. Sceptics even slander: every president has its own perestroyka. M. Gorbachov began to reconstruct the Soviet Union, and the Union disappeared. B. Yeltsyn started out to reconstruct the party-economic system, and the system disappeared. V. Putin is about to reconstruct the Russian Federation:

What specifically does the concept of the state power reform include? What are the arguments of those who stand for its conduction? What does the "opposition" look like? What are is their reasoning? Won't the strengthening of the power vertical turn into the state's denial of its social obligations? Maybe it is a means to bleed them white financially and thus to "tame" the regions? Nevertheless, what are the "pluses" and "minuses" of the reform? What can it bring to Russia as early as the nearest prospects?

If you feel this problem is quite urgent for Russia now, we invite you to familiarise yourself with our material. We will be pleased to know your opinion. more...

Introduction

What caused it?

And what about nonconformity of laws?

Who is opposed?

Steering a middle course