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In Chuvashia, discussing the possibility of the fifth term of President Nikolai Fedorov

The president is the president of Africa too. For example, in Tunisia, where Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali took office for the fifth time last year. African democracy allows this, but ours is no worse. Catch up and overtake Tunisia in terms of ...

The president is the president of Africa too. For example, in Tunisia, where Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali took office for the fifth time last year. African democracy allows this, but ours is no worse.

If not the whole of Russia, then at least the modest Chuvash Republic, where they are just now talking about a possible fifth term for President Nikolai Fedorov, can catch up and overtake Tunisia in terms of democracy.

The people of Chuvashia are concerned about politics. Sometimes even too much. Thus, recently a rare criminal case was sent to the Ibresinsky District Court: two fellow villagers quarreled over political differences, and during the discussion one of them, 67-year-old, hit the other, 37-year-old, with an ax on the head (he survived only thanks to an ambulance). help").

But they are unlikely because of the fifth term. The political prospects of the first president of Chuvashia, who has been in high office since January 1994, are spoken of more reservedly, although confidently. Recently, the issue was raised at a session of the State Council of the Republic, where Speaker Mikhail Mikhailovsky recalled that the next term of Fedorov's presidential powers was expiring, and said that the deputies of the United Russia faction had no doubt that Nikolai Vasilyevich would retain his position for another five years.

Well, we did not have presidents with a fifth term, so they will (there are already regional governors - Viktor Ishaev in Khabarovsk, for example). True, if this happens, a piquant situation may arise: the first president who is not satisfied with four terms in office and again agrees to go through the appointment procedure will be a recognized democrat of the first wave, the hope of the liberal public. Indeed, even at that naive time, when the whole country was worried about whether the head of the region could go for a third term, Nikolai Fedorov said on the air of Ekho Moskvy: “Personally, I am a supporter of limiting the terms of office for regional leaders.”

Let us not, however, forget that back then, in 2000, while speaking out in favor of restrictions, Fedorov nevertheless allowed for a third and subsequent terms. But this issue, he believed, should be decided by the inhabitants of the regions themselves through democratic general direct elections by secret ballot: “In no country in the world you will find that the issues of tenure are regulated from the center ... But the State Duma and the president are interested in regulating the issues of life in Chukotka , in the North Caucasus, in Tatarstan from here, from the Kremlin. This is absolutely false. This is a rudiment, an atavism, a manifestation of a hereditary phenomenon from a totalitarian regime.”

That is, go at least for the eighth term, if the people want it. Well, that's right. This is exactly what we observe in Chuvashia. The opinion of the United Russia faction is, by today's standards, the voice of the people. A voice coming from the very depths of parliamentary offices, from the remote corners of conference rooms and deaf party offices.

So, the waves of the Middle Volga democracy rise no lower than the waves of the Mediterranean. At the same time, compared with Tunisia, Chuvashia has an undoubted advantage: here, a presidential candidate can not fool people with stories about a brighter future. So, Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali promised the people by 2014 to bring Tunisia into the category of developed countries of the world, and, accordingly, to make the population of the country prosperous and prosperous. And the time will come, he may be asked: “Where is the money, Zin?”

And Nikolai Fedorov, if he decides to run for a new term, may well do without public promises, which in some countries are called pre-election promises and which everyone usually makes fun of later. Of course, he will have to make some promises, but this is in Moscow. One voter. In a personal meeting. More precisely, two. With an eye for two.