Dagestani experts: abolition of direct elections of municipality heads not to help Abdulatipov in controlling all cities and districts

In Dagestan, a bill to abolish direct elections was initiated by republic's leader Ramazan Abdulatipov, who wishes to gain control over authorities of town and district level. This opinion was expressed by the experts questioned by the "Caucasian Knot".

However, some experts doubt that the initiative will increase the controllability of the regions, where local heads have strong influence now. According to experts, the bill represents a step back; and it violates the principle of separation of powers and further limits the voting rights of Dagestani residents.

Experts criticize the local MPs' statements that the bill was developed with the aim to bring the Dagestani laws into conformity with the federal ones.

"A federal law cannot contradict the Constitution of the Russian Federation; and the latter provides municipalities with a certain degree of freedom in determining the very structure of local self-government," stated Magomed Magomedov, an observer of the "Mediafakt" Agency.

Eduard Urazaev, a political columnist of the newspaper "Chernovik" (Draft), has expressed an opinion that the Dagestani authorities should stand not for concentration of power in one pair of hands, but for the development of civil society institutions.

Magomed Bisavaliev, the editor-in-chief of the magazine "Dagestan", believes that the debates about the form of elections in the republic have no sense under the conditions of the clannish ruling system.