|
|
Post by Dr. Hendrei Gromsinger on Jun 28, 2021 21:37:07 GMT
From time to time, I will use this thread to post a portion (perhaps a front page) from a newspaper, as a plot/exposition device. For domestic press, I will mostly use the highbrow Derbent Post (formerly owned by Safadov/Tormasov) and the more working-class Dagestan Today. I may also use tabloids, foreign papers, and others, but it'll mostly be those two.
Until the RP starts, I intend to post a couple for fun exposition purposes. Afterwards, these will mostly be bad news for you, a source of crises and drama.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dr. Hendrei Gromsinger on Jun 28, 2021 23:30:04 GMT
The Derbent Post
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Yulia Meyers Elected President
President-Elect Meyers addresses supporters at her campaign headquarters, at the Dynamo Stadium, Makhachkala, last night
MAKHACHKALA - Yulia Isakovna Meyers was elected President of the Republic of Dagestan yesterday (Monday), defeating a scattershot field of opponents to become our nation's fourth President. Dr. Meyers, currently the Chairwoman of the Provisional Government, campaigned on a promise to guard Dagestan's newly-restored democracy, and to unite the nation.
The race was called for Dr. Meyers only 40 minutes after polls closed, when returns indicated she has won an absolute majority of the vote, thus avoiding a runoff scheduled for Monday, January 22nd, the date of the upcoming parliamentary election. As of press time, with 94% of ballots tallied, Dr. Meyers holds 64% of the vote, a nearly 50-point lead over her nearest challenger. International observers have affirmed that our election was fair and secure.
With the election of Dr. Meyers, 60, Dagestan joins the exclusive club of nations that have elected a woman leader to their highest office. The President-Elect acknowledged this in her election-night speech, promising to govern with "a mother's touch: compassionate and caring, but unwavering in defense of [her] family - the Dagestani people." Exit polling indicates that even in very traditional areas of the country, the gender issue did not impede Dr. Meyers' electoral performance.
An economist by trade, Dr. Meyers first entered the public eye in 1996, as a protégé of former President Iosif Safadov. She served as Prime Minister for three and a half years under former President Konstantin Volkov, until the constitutional crisis of 2000. An advocate for civil liberties, she spent the subsequent years opposing the growing authoritarianism of the Volkov regime, and was one of the leaders of the so-called Turquoise Revolution of 2005. The President-Elect paid tribute to this history in her victory speech, inviting the reclusive Mr. Safadov onstage for a rare public appearance.
This election marked the conclusion of what has long been framed as a comeback tour for the President-Elect. The American-born Meyers, who had been described ten years ago as a "gray, bureaucratic" presence, now drew some of the largest crowds in the nation's history. Her campaign headquarters at central Makhachkala's Dynamo Stadium was no exception: estimates place the crowd of supporters above 100,000, with the highest estimates nearer to 200,000. The campaign chartered a number of trains to transport supporters, several of which have not yet departed Makhachkala as of press time.
Throughout the campaign, Dr. Meyers was backed by leaders from the tripartite coalition that forms the provisional government: the People's Party, the Progressive Party, and the Liberal Party. The President-Elect is expected to campaign for candidates and parties of the coalition, as she has often expressed her desire to see the tripartite coalition continue in power after the legislative election.
Following the race call, President-Elect Meyers received congratulatory calls from a number of prominent world leaders, such as Russian President Vladimir Putin - a call that was described as "friendly". The other candidates for the presidency have conceded, including the National Party's Ilya Lobachenko, who was sighted boarding the last flight of the evening to Moscow yesterday.
Barring any significant developments, Dr. Meyers will be sworn in as President next Monday, January 15th. Until then, she will continue to discharge most of the same powers as Chairwoman of the Provisional Government. |
|
|
|
Post by Dr. Hendrei Gromsinger on Jul 1, 2021 15:39:34 GMT
The Derbent Post Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Elkhanov to Contest Derbent-Center
DERBENT - After prolonged speculation, and only hours before the filing deadline, Tarlan Lavkhovich Elkhanov, the Mayor of Derbent, filed paperwork to contest the seat of Derbent-Center yesterday (Tuesday), as the candidate of the Liberal Party. Mayor Elkhanov, a leader of the Turquoise Revolution and onetime opponent of the Volkov regime, is considered close to President-Elect Meyers, and is a leading figure in his party. His entrance into this race has transformed what was a three-cornered contest between the Progressives, Liberals, and Greens, into one in which the Liberals are heavily favored; his presence is also expected to boost other Liberal candidates in the southeast and big cities. Elkhanov is expected to hold a senior ministerial portfolio if, as now seems likely, the Liberals enter the next coalition.
As of press time, the previous Liberal nominee, Yevgenia Pavlova, has withdrawn, contesting the election on the party's list instead. President-Elect Meyers' office has announced that she will formally endorse Mayor Elkhanov at a campaign event in Derbent's Naryn-Kala stadium tomorrow. |
|
|
|
Post by Dr. Hendrei Gromsinger on Jul 1, 2021 17:06:46 GMT
Dagestan TODAY!
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Karimov to Contest Parliamentary Election
 Abdullah Karimov at the Dagestani-American Friendship Cookout, July 2006 TATAYURT - Abdullah Nazirbegovich Karimov, the current Minister of Foreign Affairs, has announced his intent to run in the upcoming Parliamentary election, on behalf of the People's Party. Mr. Karimov will contest the seat of Tatayurtovsky, in the north, a mostly rural area where the People's Party is considered quite strong. One of the earliest high-profile entrants in the parliamentary race, Mr. Karimov brings a measure of star power to the campaign. A former Prime Minister, Mr. Karimov is said to be planning a return to that position. At present, he appears to be a frontrunner for the PP nomination to that post, and a strong candidate overall. His past experience, and closeness to Chairwoman Yulia Meyers, make it likely that he will hold a senior position in the new government, if his party will be in coalition. An oil magnate, Mr. Karimov has a strong background in the petroleum industry, as well as in foreign relations. He is considered a staunch internationalist. As of press time, Mr. Karimov has received a number of high-profile endorsements, including from Yulia Meyers, who has invited him to join her whistle-stop campaign tour of the north next week. Early polling indicates that he will win his seat easily. |
|
|
|
Post by Dr. Hendrei Gromsinger on Jul 1, 2021 17:46:42 GMT
The Derbent Post
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Op-Ed Not the "Meyers Mambo": Why Office Locations Matter
By: Prof. Abdul Ivanovich Ifraimov
Contrary to the insistence of my colleague, Andrey Gordievsky ("The Meyers Mambo: Provisional Government Rearranges Deck Chairs") the decision made by the Meyers cabinet last week (Jan. 18) to relocate the various government ministries is in fact a meaningful and worthy one. Andrey Vladimirovich, whom I greatly respect, has overlooked a number of significant factors that favor the move.
First, the existing buildings were not suitable for the functions they served. The former Ministry of Finance building on Rustamova street, for example, was adequate for the needs of an authoritarian regime, in which budgets and tax rates were merely recommendations, but cannot support the needs of a functional financial bureaucracy in a developed country. The Ministry of Transport, on the other hand, can occupy this space quite nicely. Likewise, the Ministry of Energy, now an independent entity and not an extension of presidential prerogatives from the Green House, could no longer fit in its small location in the 5th Village.
No less significant is the symbolism behind certain moves. The expansive Beybulatova complex, which in the Volkov era was used as the headquarters of the police and SNB, is now reclaimed for its original purpose, as a location for valuable elements of the government, removed from the political noise on Republic Boulevard. The Ministry of Justice, sidelined during the Volkov era, moves from its distant location in the Kirovsky district, to the dignified Abubakarov complex. Perhaps the culmination of this process is the Nasrutdinov complex, placing the prestigious Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the powerful Ministry of Industry & Commerce in working-class southeast Makhachkala, among the common people. The Ministry of Education, another casualty of the Volkov Era, is now elevated to be the closest to the Hall of the Dagestani People.
Just as noteworthy as where offices are, is where they are not. The Ministry of Defense, which had been far too close to power during the Volkov era, is now in its own complex halfway to Kaspiysk. The Ministry of the Interior, which had once shared a building with the PM's Office, is now in the Beybulatova complex. Perhaps geography will combine with intention, to cut these offices down to their natural sizes.
Last but not least, I find Andrey Vladimirovich's suggestion that "as a provisional government, the Meyers cabinet should do the bare minimum to keep the country intact before the election" to be risible. If the country had already been in good shape to hold an election, there would be no provisional government. Its whole mandate is to make the nation resilient enough to conduct an election, and the "Meyers Mambo", placing ministries in reasonable places, does just that.
Prof. Abdul Ivanovich Ifraimov is the Dean of Law at Dagestan State University, and a contributor to the Derbent Post. |
|
|
|
Post by Dr. Hendrei Gromsinger on Jul 1, 2021 22:12:27 GMT
Dagestan TODAY! Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Stepanov: I Won't Run Aleksandr Stepanov speaking to press at a farmers' market, Khuznakh MAKHACHKALA - Aleksandr Semyonovich Stepanov, National Security Advisor to Yulia Meyers, announced yesterday (Monday) that he will not run in the upcoming parliamentary election. Mr. Stepanov, a former General and prominent figure in last year's Turquoise Revolution, was considered a high-profile prospective candidate, tipped by many as a future Prime Minister due to his rich experience and relatable, man-of-the-people background.
At his press conference, Mr. Stepanov said that he was "honored" by the offers he received to run, but that he had to decline as he felt "we've had enough military men running the civilian side of our country." He further held that there were "more than enough good candidates" who could run. He insisted that he would remain as Yulia Meyers' National Security Advisor for so long as she remained in office, but refused to comment on what he might do if she loses her run for the Presidency.
Mr. Stepanov's decision clears the field for other Prime Ministerial candidates from inside the tripartite coalition, who may have feared his closeness to Dr. Meyers hampered their chances. It also leaves a wide-open competition for the Kulinsky electoral district, where native son Stepanov was thought to be unbeatable had he run. |
|
|
|
Post by Dr. Hendrei Gromsinger on Jul 2, 2021 5:59:16 GMT
The Derbent Post Page 5 Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Meyers Announces Procedure for Consultations President Meyers in the vegetable gardens of the Presidential complex, September 2006. Source: Meyers for Dagestan Campaign Committee
MAKHACHKALA - President Yulia Meyers announced this morning (Tuesday) the procedure she will follow in holding consultations, before she grants the mandate to a candidate to assemble a government. Under the constitution, the President may hold any consultations she sees fit to, and grant the mandate to any member of the Assembly. As during the previous democratic election (1997) the Reformist party won an outright majority, the precedent for consultations is quite slim. President Meyers is said to have looked abroad to advice; her office confirms that she has spoken with President Jacques Chirac of France, among other acquaintances, about the matter.
President Meyers will invite representatives from all parties to the Green House to consult with her over the course of Tuesday, January 30th (the day following the state opening of Parliament), beginning with the smallest and continuing to the largest. She will ask the parties which candidate is their preferred choice for Prime Minister, and which other candidates they will accept for that position.
According to her statement this morning, President Meyers will grant the mandate to "the candidate with the best shot of forming a strong, stable government that will do good for the nation." The President hopes to announce her selection on Thursday, February 1st. At present, it is widely believed that the mandate will be granted to a member of the Presidential majority - the People's Party, Progressive Party, and Liberal Party - who will form a government comprised of those parties, per the President's stated wishes. There are a number of possible candidates presently, and though Meyers has said that she will seek a unifier, it is not entirely clear what she means. |
|
|
|
Post by Dr. Hendrei Gromsinger on Jul 4, 2021 19:08:30 GMT
Dagestan TODAY! Tuesday, January 16, 2007
The Next Government: Who's it Gonna Be?
 The Hall of the Dagestani People Before the polls open, we already know one thing: the next government will be a coalition. It's virtually inconceivable that one party will win anything near a majority of seats, and it appears unlikely that any two parties will, together, hold a majority of seats. Thus, a three- or even four-member coalition will almost assuredly be formed after the election. In this article, we examine a number of possible coalitions. Note that depending on the election results, only a few of these may be mathematically possible, and fewer still will be politically possible. The Presidential Majority  Other names: The Revolution Coalition, Black-Red-Yellow, "Germany" Coalition, "Belgium" Coalition Members: L, N, P Orientation: Center Likelihood: High President Meyers' compelling election win would seem to favor her handpicked coalition. Even if they do not fully replicate her margin, the three member parties together will probably have a majority, and all three have expressed a desire to govern together. If this coalition is mathematically possible, as now appears likely, it is all but guaranteed to form. President Meyers will likely only be dissuaded from it if she deems one or more of the parties to be acting in what she calls "dogmatic obstinacy", and without her blessing, these parties will struggle to lead their rank-and-file. Dogma, and much ideology, will have to be set aside in this coalition, as it is quite ideologically heterogeneous. The Populist Coalition  Other names: the "Afghanistan" Coalition, the "Kenya" Coalition, Black-Red-Green Members: N, P, V Orientation: Center-right Likelihood: Medium-low In the event that the Liberals do act with "dogmatic obstinacy", the Revival Party may replace them as the third coalition partner. Aside from a more moderate stance on Russia, Revival is quite similar ideologically to the People's Party, and does not differ too radically from the positions of the Progressives on many issues. This coalition would likely lead a populist economic platform, coupled with a moderately conservative social policy. More likely than this coalition forming, is the possibility that the threat of its formation will coax the Liberal Party into accepting higher spending in the Presidential Majority. The Conservative Coalition  Other names: Black-Green-Blue, the Rural Coalition Members: N, V, S Orientation: Right-wing Likelihood: Low This coalition, comprised of the socially conservative parties, might appear natural if it receives a majority. However, despite their social conservatism and similar voting bases, these parties are at least as ideologically heterogeneous as the Presidential Majority, with the pro-business, pro-Russian Freedom Party out of step with the big-spending, pro-western People's Party. Moreover, Revival leader Dmitry Siluanov is quite hostile to the leadership of the Freedom Party, due to their endorsement of the National Party's Ilya Lobachenko in the Presidential race. The possibility of a Conservative Majority will provide the People's Party with some leverage in the Presidential Majority. The Duumvirate  Other names: Black-Red Coalition Members: N, P Orientation: Center Likelihood: Low If the People's Party and Progressives together command a majority, or a near-majority, they may choose to leave the Liberals out of the Presidential Majority. This is, however, unlikely, as President Meyers will likely seek to include the Liberals anyway, if only as a third wheel. Like the Populist coalition, the prospect of the Duumvirate will pressure the Liberals to accept an economic agenda they normally would not. The Left-Wing Coalition 
Other names: Red-Red-Purple Coalition Members: NL, P, SR Orientation: Left-wing Likelihood: Remote The economic policies of these parties are aligned. However, the leadership of the Progressive Party has vetoed any alliance with the Nationals, and many figures within the party would like to see Nationals leaders tried for Volkov-era crimes. It is also not likely to command a majority. The Russian Coalition  Other names: the Volkov Coalition Members: S, V, NL Orientation: Center Likelihood: Remote This coalition faces a plethora of obstacles. President Meyers will likely refuse to give the mandate to the Nationals or Freedom Party, and will only grant Revival the mandate if that party promises not to work with the other members of the Russian coalition. On a personal level, Siluanov resents not only the Freedom Party for supporting Mr. Lobachenko, but also the Nationals for running him. He feels that this sabotaged him, creating a disunited front and needless infighting among these parties, opposite unities in the Meyers coalition. Moreover, these parties - like the Presidential Majority, are ideologically heterogeneous, and without the good will and Presidential voice that bind the Presidential Majority, will likely struggle to form even if it is mathematically possible. Mind you, it is extremely unlikely that the Russian coalition will command a parliamentary majority. Even if the polls are wrong, and the Presidential Majority fails to win a majority, the regionalist parties, Greens, and SLP will control the balance of power. The Traffic Light Coalition  Other names: Social-Liberal Coalition, Senegal Coalition, Africa Coalition Parties: L, P, Z Orientation: Center-left Likelihood: Remote This coalition may become possible if the Progressives perform extremely well in rural areas, and will likely pursue socially liberal policies if formed. However, the Greens' anti-oil policies are not viewed as practical by many in the other two parties, and are wholly rejected by the oil workers' union, which is influential in the Progressive Party, making the Traffic Light Coalition improbable. However, the possibility of the Traffic Light coalition may pressure the People's Party to support more socially liberal policies in the Presidential Majority. |
|
|
|
Post by Dr. Hendrei Gromsinger on Jul 6, 2021 4:56:24 GMT
The Derbent Post
November 6, 2006
Ismailova to Run
Regina Ismailova
MAKHACHKALA - Regina Abramovna Ismailova, the prominent civil rights attorney, will contest the upcoming parliamentary election as the Liberal Party candidate for the Makhachkala Campus District. Ms. Ismailova, who rose to public fame by defending the wrongfully accused during the Volkov era, has expressed her desire to bring Dagestan's legal system closer in line with the west. As such, she is likely to pursue the Ministry of Justice in the incoming government, and will assuredly be the Liberal Party's candidate for that office. The three-way bidding war for Ms. Ismailova (the Progressives courted her, and the Greens offered to make her the party leader) appears to have been settled by her close ties to Derbent Mayor Tarlan Elkhanov, who is himself said to be contemplating a run for national office.
Though young, Ms. Ismailova has already made her mark on the system, and looks set to leave a bigger mark in the coming parliamentary term. Tipped by many as a future Prime Minister or President, she displays clear ambition for public office and public service. In fact, some pundits have described her as a "young Yulia Meyers", an allusion that rests on shared personality traits, as well as a common Jewish heritage.
Dr. Meyers herself, when asked about Ms. Ismailova's candidacy today, reacted with glee, saying, "we should consider ourselves lucky that such a bright young woman is so committed public service in our little country," to our correspondent. |
|
|
|
Post by Dr. Hendrei Gromsinger on Jul 6, 2021 14:03:13 GMT
Dagestan TODAY! Page 2
November 9, 2006
Katz to Run for Parliament
Mayor Victor KatzMAKHACHKALA - Victor Yakovich Katz, the Mayor of Makhachkala, has announced his candidacy for the upcoming parliamentary election. Mr. Katz, a member of the Progressive Party, will contest the seat of Sovetsky in central Makhachkala. Katz, considered a star within that center-left party, has served as Mayor of Makhachkala for nearly 8 years, making him one of the most senior executives in Dagestani politics. He is perhaps the strongest contender for Prime Minister the Progressives can produce. Mayor Katz, a former academic, is more closely associated with his party's middle-class wing, possessed of more socially liberal beliefs, but has a strong appeal to the working class and unions as well. His tenure has seen Makhachkala grow considerably, despite the repressions of the Volkov era. On the national stage, Mayor Katz appears poised to pursue an expansion of the welfare state, a position that may place him at odds with the Liberal Party within the prospective three-party "Revolution Coalition".' Mayor Katz's entry into the race shakes up what had been a sleepy landscape at the top, providing the most serious competition to Abdullah Karimov as a prospective Prime Minister. Both Katz and Karimov are considered close to Yulia Meyers, who may have to choose between them for the Prime Minister's chair. |
|
|
|
Post by Dr. Hendrei Gromsinger on Jul 12, 2021 6:11:35 GMT
This one isn't an article, but a series of transcripts from the election night broadcast on Dagestan's biggest private news channel, Channel 2. The characters are as follows.
AA: Ali Abramov, anchor.
NA: Natalyaa Alieva, anchor.
PI: Pyotr Ionescu, pollster.
AT: Abram Tormasov, political correspondent.
BI: Boris Islamov, political correspondent.
21:58
NA: "Welcome to our election night special, here on Channel 2. In just two minutes, we'll bring you our Channel 2 exit poll, conducted by Prof. Pyotr Ionescu. Professor, anything you can tell us?"
PI: "Thank you, Natalya. I can tell you it will be dramatic."
AA: "Can you tell us numbers?"
PI: "You'll just have to wait."
22:00
AA: "Dagestan elects 2007, time for the exit polls. Here it comes."
NA: "In first place is the Progressive Party, led by Victor Katz, projected to win 35 seats. In second place, Revival, with Dmitry Siluanov, at 24 seats. Third place, the People's Party, Abdullah Karimov's party, at 21 seats. Fourth place, the Liberal Party with 19 seats."
AA: "Moving down the list. In fifth place, the National Party with 9 seats, followed by the Socialist Labor Party and the Freedom Party with 6 seats each. The sectarian parties and the Greens win no seats at all."
NA: "Our panel, our political correspondents Abram Tormasov and Boris Islamov, good evening."
AT: "Good evening, Natalya."
NA: "First thoughts?"
BI: "35 seats for the Progressives is an election upset of historic proportions. This wasn't predicted in any of the polls, I don't think they even cracked 30 in any polls."
AA: "They got 31 in one poll."
BI: "One poll, but they were averaging closer to 25, 26, and usually 1-2 seats behind the People's Party. Having this margin, almost 15-seat margin, over Karimov is not something Victor Katz dreamt of."
AT: "You know, if I'm Abdullah Karimov, I'm not so worried that Victor Katz passed me, because we're competing in different markets. I'm much more worried about Dmitry Siluanov, about Revival, beating me, because that means I'm not the biggest game in town in the rural areas either. It doesn't bode well for 2012."
BI: "With this result, if you're a betting man, you expect our system to develop into V vs P, with all the other players as their junior partners. Abdullah Karimov, who is a leading figure in our politics, who wants to be Prime Minister, maybe wants to be President, doesn't get that by being the junior partner."
NA: "Okay, so that's Abdullah Karimov. Tell me about Victor Katz."
BI: "Victor Katz is not who most people expected to see up there at the top of the chart. He's a professor, he's a policy wonk, and he's not the smoothest Russian speaker, but he's clearly done something right."
AT: "I think the best way to understand the Katz effect is to look at who else has a similar set of characteristics."
AA: "Yulia Meyers."
AT: "Yulia Meyers ten years ago, exactly. I think voters wanted to give Meyers a Prime Minister in her own image."
NA: "We're all assuming the 'Progs for Karimov' effect really is gone."
BI: "Natalya, I don't think 'Progs for Karimov' were ever as big a factor as we made them out to be, and they definitely don't account for the gap between P and N here. If this was a 1, 2-seat gap, I'd say 'Progs for Karimov' made that gap, but we're looking at 14 seats."
AT: "I think there are many Progressive voters who would be just fine with Prime Minister Karimov, but there are also many People's Party voters who'd have no problem with Katz as Prime Minister."
22:30
AA: "Okay, let's play with numbers. How do you get to 61 in this thing?"
BI: "The easy answer is the Presidential Majority: P, N, L, put together, give you a strong, stable majority."
NA: "That's 75 seats. P, N, and V is 80."
BI: "The Afghanistan Coalition won't happen. It's dangerous for Karimov to let Siluanov have that position of influence, and it's not something I think Yulia Meyers is going to sign off on either."
AA: "Does Meyers even get to 'sign off' on these deals?"
AT: "The thing to understand with Yulia Meyers is that she's probably the craftiest politician in the country. She said what she said in the second debate, that she won't substitute her own desires for the will of the people, because she knows she can exercise her influence in subtle ways."
AA: "Meaning?"
AT: "Meaning she won't come into our studio at 8 o'clock tomorrow and announce she won't give the mandate to anyone who'd form the Afghanistan coalition, but she will place messages with various members to make sure the Afghanistan coalition can't form."
NA: "For those watching at home, the Afghanistan coalition is what they call a coalition of Revival, People's, and Progressive parties."
AT: "Yes."
NA: "We'll come back to Yulia Meyers later, so let's focus on coalitions. What else is possible?"
BI: "P and V together hit 59 seats, so they can probably form a minority government with some defections from the other parties. They can easily find the two missing fingers in People's, or Freedom, or the Nats."
AT: "They're not gonna, though. Victor Katz is a social liberal, and Dmitry Siluanov is very not. Katz is going to be a lot more comfortable in the Presidential Majority."
AA: "Let's look at other options. Assume we take P and N, that's 56 seats, they just need any one of the other parties to reach 61. The SLP isn't a 'legitimate' partner, Freedom isn't 'legitimate', the Nats aren't 'legitimate', so they circle back to either the Libs or Revival."
NA: "Legitimate according to?"
AA: "Karimov, Katz, Meyers, and so on."
23:00
AA: "Let's talk some more about Yulia Meyers. How's she feeling tonight?"
AT: "Yulia Meyers got everything she wanted. I'm sure she's sleeping like a baby."
AA: "Go on."
AT: "The first thing Yulia Meyers wanted was for her partners, the Presidential Majority, to win. She got that. On top of that, she was really hoping there'd be a clear winner inside the bloc, she didn't want to have to break a tie, or get into political shenanigans, she got that as well. The third point, and this may sound counterintuitive, is that she didn't want the Presidential Majority to be too big."
NA: "How so?"
AT: "Yulia Meyers wants to serve two terms as President, and she does that by being the undisputed leader of her bloc. If suddenly the parliamentary majority is bigger than her personal majority, then that raises questions of whether she really is the most popular, most beloved politician in Dagestan, like she wants to be, or whether someone else can do even better. The fact that she did better than her bloc, means it's still her bloc."
NA: "What does that mean for the mandate and the coalition talks?"
AT: "It means when she talks, the bloc leaders, Katz, Karimov, and Elkhanov, are going to listen."
AA: "Why does she want that three-party coalition, and not the Afghanistan coalition?"
BI: "Meyers is a pragmatist, and she wants a pragmatic cabinet. We've seen during the provisional government how the ideological mish-mash of this bloc drives a decision-making process that's less ideological, and that's what she wants. If she gets the Afghanistan coalition, that's really a two-party coalition, not a three-party coalition, and it's therefore more ideological."
NA: "How's it a two-party coalition?"
BI: "Revival and People's are basically the same party. Revival is just more hardline."
AT: "Boris is right, but he's overlooking the personal aspect. Yulia Meyers is a people person, she has a good relationship with Tarlan Elkhanov, Abdullah Karimov, Victor Katz; she doesn't have that with Dmitry Siluanov, who also ran against her."
AA: "There's also succession, isn't there?"
AT: "She's absolutely thinking about the end of her tenure, whether that's 2017 or some other time. It's a long way away, but this woman thinks long-term."
0:15
NA: "We've all been assuming Victor Katz will be the next Prime Minister. Is there another scenario?"
BI: "If he plays his cards right, Abdullah Karimov can be Prime Minister. He needs, first of all, to win over the Liberal Party, he needs the Libs to recommend him to Meyers. Second, he needs a good pitch to convince Meyers to accept that."
NA: "Is it likely?"
BI: "It's possible. I don't know about likely."
|
|
|
|
Post by Dr. Hendrei Gromsinger on Jul 15, 2021 7:35:41 GMT
The Derbent Post
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Hardly a "Fat" Government
As frequent readers of this column know, I am wont to criticize Yulia Meyers. I think our President is a great political leader, with whom I often agree politically. However, I believe she is mistaken in one place: her insistence on a "skinny" government, which I think negates the importance of making our cabinet more efficient. In particular, I will identify three areas that necessitate a ministerial split.
The Ministry of Tourism, Culture, & Sports (TCS)
There are a number of things that bring foreigners into our country: our rich tapestry of history and culture, our breathtaking natural vistas, and our sporting competition with neighboring nations. As a nation that profits greatly from tourism, it does not behoove us that, due to bureaucratic inefficiency, the Natural Park Bureau in the Ministry of the Interior, competes with the other two types of offerings. It also does not behoove us that cultural heritage and sporting are placed as red-headed stepchildren under the purview of the Ministry of Education. It hobbles us further that the offices regulating our hotels and other hospitality services are solely under the Ministry of Industry & Commerce, and the agency nominally responsible for promoting tourism in Dagestan sits in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. All these combine to create an inefficient, hobbled tourism system.
Instead, I propose that we move all these elements under one roof, the Ministry of Tourism, Culture & Sports (TCS). This ministry will be better able to coordinate all our attractions to make us competitive with the world, while also freeing ministers in other offices to focus on their primary responsibilities.
The Ministry of the Environment & Natural Resources (ENR)
There is already a Minister without Portfolio for the Environment, as astute readers will note, so this proposal is merely to give him more teeth as part of a portfolio. I would propose to place in this office the Rivers & Waters Directorate (presently under Interior), the Pollution Control Agency (Industry & Commerce), the Bureau of Environmental Impact Assessment (Industry & Commerce), and the Division for Clean Cities (Housing). In this way, the expanded Ministry of ENR will function as a watchdog agency responsible for our public lands.
The Ministry of Public Safety
At present, the Ministry of the Interior is a two-headed beast. On the one hand, it is responsible for a coterie of public services, including issuing ID & government documents, monitoring local & regional government, managing public lands, and overseeing elections and the census. On the other hand, it is responsible for the police and SNB. This creates a ministry as powerful as it is ungovernable.
I believe that by cleaving Public Safety (law enforcement) off into a separate ministry, it can be more effectively monitored and governed, while the other services offered by Interior can also receive their due attention. I would further contend that it's essential for democracy to sequester the police from affecting other governmental functions.
I hope that, having read this, Mayors Katz and Elkhanov, Minister Karimov, and President Meyers will be open to a bigger, better government.
About the author:
Abram Tormasov is a political journalist working for the Derbent Post and Channel 2 News. |
|
|
|
Post by Dr. Hendrei Gromsinger on Jul 17, 2021 10:27:04 GMT
Dagestan TODAY!
Page 7
Wednesday, February 1, 2007
Tupolev in Hot Water
MAKHACHKALA - Iosif Tupolev, the Secretary-General of the Council for Local Government, has been accused in a lawsuit of sexual harassment by a number of female subordinates from his past service as CEO of Dagestan Airways (1995-2004).
Mr. Tupolev is a widely respected managerial figure, who has been tipped as a future Cabinet Secretary in the Presidential Majority. He was also courted by the parties of the Presidential majority as a candidate, before the election. Tupolev refused these offers, opting to stay in his current position. This position, it should be noted, is made by the cabinet. Whether these allegations pose a challenge to his remaining in office is to be determined.
As a legal issue, several of the complainants worked with Mr. Tupolev in 1995-1996, outside of the 10-year statute of limitations. This should make for an awkward situation, as some members of the Presidential Majority propose abolishing this statute of limitations.
|
|
