Khloponin offers his hand to Lebed

From Governor of Taimyr (Dolgano-Nenets) Autonomous District To Governor of Krasnoyarsk Region, Alexand Lebed To Chairman of Legislative Assembly of Krasnoyarsk Region, Alexei Uss Dear colleagues! Everybody of us is equally responsible for Krasnoyarsk Region’s future. The situation demands coordinated activities from leaders of the region and of the autonomous districts, to overpass the crisis situation. Discussing of the region’s issues during Russian President Vladimir Putin to the cities of Norilsk and Krasnoyarsk proved such approach to be necessary. I would like to explain Taimyr’s position on relations of the subjects putting together Krasnoyarsk Region. The main task of today is to overpass discrepancies that be and development of integration processes in the whole region. It should be clearly determine, what now separates the north and the south of the region. First of all, this is the lack of a long-term full-scale inter-budget agreement between Taimyr and the region. There is no coordination between economical and social programmes. The region’s property is often not separated from that one of the district. Questions of the bowels’ use are also not fully clarified. The region and the district’s authorities often duplicate functions of each other. There is no united migration policy, information and cultural space are torn open. Problems which were being accumulated for years created the critical situation with budget of Krasnoyarsk Region. Today, it is very important to take into account specifics of the city of Norilsk and its real needs, while forming the region’s budget. Meeting just demands of the North ’s citizens and further prospects of the dialogue depend on the Legislation Assembly’s position. The most important thing now is to form an effective mechanism of cooperation between the region and the districts. We have already certain reserve. The Inter-Parliament Assembly was created by the Duma of Taimyr and by the Suglan of Evenkia. Earlier, an agreement was signed about forming Council of Governors of Krasnoyarsk Region, Taimyr and Evenkia and about creation of coordiantion groups for the most important currents of social and economical policy. Though, from different reasons, these mechanisms still do not work, while they should be set going. As a first measure, I propose to create an anti-crisis group under the governors’ leadership, which will work out the programme of the most necessary actions aimed at stabilisation of social and economical situation. The next step is to create constant Expert Council with participation of representatives of Krasnoyarsk Region, Taimyr Autonomous District, and Evenk Autonomous District. I suppose, that as a result we must approach to the agreement about foundations of relations between Taimyr, Evenkia and the region. In this document, the main attention should be paid to legal regulation of inter-budget relations and to realization of common economical programmes. I propose to meet and to discuss all these questions and coordinate our positions April 4-5, in Krasnoyarsk.

Governor of Taimyr (Dolgan-Nenets) Autonomous District Alexandr Khloponin

Comment: The open letter of Taimyr governor Alexandr Khloponin, as well as visible stir of executive and legislative powers in Krasnoyarsk Region was caused by Vladimir Putin’s visit to the region. Not long ago, everybody thought that the situation could not be normalized. Vladimir Putin reprobated the sceptics and gave hope to that ones who believed in nothing. Though, was it so necessary to wait for the President’s arrival, who at once corrected the situation. Alexandr Lebed’s team was fully satisfied with the President’s visit. According to local functionaries, now social sphere will receive a serious support. The total sum of investments into social sphere will make 170 million rubles. Governor Lebed asked to apportion 3 billion more for Norilsk. The President promised to consider this question, though at the same time he said that the region cannot account on this sum without executing some agreements. Vladimir Putin recommends to create such a concept of social and economical development of the region, that will not depend on taxes paid by the only plant of the Norilsk mining company. Here, I suppose, local functionaries stopped smiling. They for so long were “fed” by the Norilsk company, and now this source of feeding was blocked. Of course, they could not be glad. And what actually is interesting in the Khloponin’s letter? You should not find it strange, but there is absolutely noting interesting. The question is that all propositions presented by the letter (ratification of the full-scale inter-budget agreement, the question about delimitation of the region and of the district’s powers, use of natural reserves etc.) were long ago pronounced by the Taimyr governor. He simply proposes to bring back to life what did not function till this moment and what actually caused such crisis in the region. This is the reason why he offers his hand to the Krasnoyarsk authorities. Whether Alexandr Lebed takes this hand or not, we will learn soon.

Dmitry Litvinovich PRAVDA.Ru

Translated by Vera Solovieva

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2002/03/27/38881.html