Protest against Constitution changes unites Dagestani public

Both pro-governmental non-commercial organizations (NCOs) and the oppositional ones have opposed the amendments to the Constitution of Dagestan, journalists have pointed out. In their opinion, the protest against the amendments has united diverse forces in the republic.

The Makhachkala Mayoralty has refused to sanction a rally scheduled for October 27 against amendments to the Constitution of Dagestan. The organizers of the rally intended to gather about 450 people.

On October 24, NCO activists and professionals from independent media were not allowed to attend the hearings on amendments to the Constitution. At least a hundred people came out to a spontaneous gathering, demanding from the authorities to explain the essence of the amendments. At the roundtable, opponents to the amendments managed to express their position, but failed to achieve results.

The activists who planned to take part in the above rally against the amendments represent completely different political forces, Gadjimurad Sagitov, the editor-in-chief of the "Novoye Delo" weekly, has explained.

He has stressed that these organizations are "very disunited", but they primarily express the joint disagreement with the planned amendments to the Constitution and dissatisfaction with the local authorities' actions.

Milrad Fatullaev, the editor-in-chief of the RIA "Derbent", has noted that all these organizations are really opposing the amendments, although they may have different interests.

The residents of Dagestan interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" have shared their fears that after the adoption of the amendments, some republic's territories may be transferred to the neighbouring regions. The amendments to the Constitution, especially the removal from the republic's head of the obligation to protect the territorial integrity of Dagestan, could negatively affect the situation in the region and cause people's unrests, the locals have suggested.