Analysts explained the motives behind the meeting of the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Dagestan with gas station owners.

Gas station owners, after meeting with the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Dagestan, may have reached an informal "gentleman's agreement" to avoid attention from antimonopoly authorities, while the Ministry demonstrated its willingness to address issues to residents, although the Federal Antimonopoly Service is responsible for fuel market prices, analysts noted.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", earlier the report of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Dagestan on preventive talks with gas station owners caused skepticism among the residents of the republic. They noted on social media that the meeting of the head of the agency with gas station owners has not yet yielded results, as fuel prices remained unchanged.

The cost of fuel in Makhachkala has remained at the same level

In Makhachkala, fuel prices have hardly changed in recent days, but at some gas stations, they have slightly decreased, a local resident Kadi reported.

"About five days ago, I filled up: AI-95 cost 130 rubles, AI-92 – 125 rubles. Today at the same gas station, AI-95 cost 125 rubles, AI-92 – 120 rubles," he clarified to a correspondent of "Caucasian Knot".

Another resident of Makhachkala, Adil, noticed the price difference at different gas stations. "On August 10, I filled up with 95 gasoline for 120 rubles. Then, on the way out of the city, I saw a gas station where it costs 115 rubles. However, I don't know the quality of the fuel," he told a correspondent of "Caucasian Knot".

Another local resident, Zakir, noted that fuel prices have not risen in the past week. "At some gas stations, they decreased by about five rubles. I saw AI-95 for 110 rubles; I haven't seen such a low price in a long time," he explained to a correspondent of "Caucasian Knot".

Analysts commented on the Ministry's involvement in combating fuel prices

The direct involvement of the police in price formation is not provided for by law, noted lawyer Ali Aliyev, commenting on the meeting of the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Dagestan with gas station owners. The Federal Antimonopoly Service can influence prices, check their justification, issue warnings, and initiate cases regarding collusion.

"Most likely, this was a search for compromise. Gas station owners may have agreed to make some concessions after the meeting with the minister, reaching a "gentleman's agreement" to avoid further attention from law enforcement and antimonopoly authorities. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Dagestan, in turn, is trying to solve the problem in conditions where legal methods may not work quickly enough," the lawyer told a correspondent of "Caucasian Knot".

The instruction from the Minister of Internal Affairs of Dagestan to police officers to study the fuel market and its logistics cannot be considered any task handed down through the vertical of power, believes a Dagestani journalist.

"This was an initiative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Dagestan to demonstrate its participation in public life and at the same time show its influence, because after this meeting with gas station owners, prices went down. There was a desire to solve this problem, although in reality, this issue is not directly within the Ministry's regulatory sphere," he said anonymously to a correspondent of "Caucasian Knot".

He found it questionable that the acting head of Dagestan Fedor Shchukin involved the Ministry of Internal Affairs in solving the fuel crisis, as the head of the agency, Abdurashid Magomedov, independently defines his functions and monitors the information agenda.

"This initiative – intervention in gas station issues – indicates that such topics are very well worked out by his PR team and shows that he is a very important element of the existing political structure and can influence it," the journalist believes.

The agency responsible for monitoring prices in the market is the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) of the Republic of Dagestan, he reminded.

"Due to the fact that all gas stations in Dagestan are registered under different legal entities or belong to individual entrepreneurs, the FAS cannot influence the situation in any way. The agency can intervene only when a market participant occupies 30-40 percent of it. The FAS of Dagestan has been headed by Kair Babaev since the time of Vladimir Vasilyev (head of Dagestan from September 2018 to October 2020 – Note from "Caucasian Knot"), who is known as a fairly professional lawyer," the journalist noted.

Dagestani elites have retained their positions after the change of the head of the republic

It is still difficult to draw a definite conclusion about what changes have occurred in the arrangement of local elites after the change of the head of Dagestan, the analyst pointed out. Senator Suleiman Kerimov and State Duma deputy Kizri Abakarov definitely influence the political situation, but it cannot be said that they influence it one hundred percent, he noted.

"At the same time, it is clear that representatives of the old well-known clans are leaving Dagestani politics. It is still unclear who is replacing them, but one can speak of the formation of a group of security officials who hold various positions in power and will probably make themselves heard after the elections," the journalist explained.

As an example, he pointed out that the current list of candidates for the State Duma does not include the sitting deputy Saigidpasha Umakhanov, who is known for being the head of the administration of Khasavyurt from 1997 to 2015, as well as the leader of the "Northern Alliance" – an influential political association in Dagestan formed in 2003.

"Moreover, his son Yakub, who was on the lists of the communists, has been removed from the lists. His brother Mukhtarpasha Umakhanov, who is a candidate from "United Russia" in the People's Assembly of Dagestan, has been placed in an unfavorable position on the list, so even if the party wins, he may have a hard time getting into the regional parliament," the journalist explained.

As for Suleiman Kerimov, in the journalist's opinion, he only intervenes in issues that directly concern his projects.

"And if something interferes with his projects, he resolves all issues through federal authorities and some local opportunities. But overall, although he has a desire to influence the personnel policy of the republic, it does not quite work out," the analyst concluded.