Shaimiev reminded Putin about the Constitution

On November 6, Tatarstan will celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the constitution. This is a conditional anniversary, although very symbolic.

The constitution declaring Tatarstan a subject of international law lasted until 2000 and was actually abolished under pressure from Vladimir Putin.

The republican authorities completely rewrote the Basic Law at the beginning of Putin’s first term. The correction of 99% of the text of the Constitution in Kazan was called just an “edition”. Although it would be more honest to say that this is a completely new document.

Despite this, Tatarstan has something left. Something that is no longer available in other regions. Firstly, an agreement on the delimitation of areas of jurisdiction. No one in Russia has it. Another thing is the President of the Republic of Tatarstan.

In 2010, the federal center adopted a law eliminating the right of regions to call their leaders presidents.

However, you can’t really argue with the federal center. But Tatarstan decided to do this. Ex-President Mintimer Shaimiev recently tactfully reminded the Moscow Kremlin that the right of regions to form their own government bodies (and give them names) is specified in the Basic Law of the country and no law can contradict the Constitution.

Shaimiev, by the way, recalled that the “anti-presidential” law was adopted by the United Russia majority, hinting that Tatarstan may reconsider its attitude towards this party, for which 77% of Tatarstan residents voted.

Silence was Shaimiev's answer. His associates are too cautious to publicly support the ex-president. And the feds will not be able to oppose Shaimiev, since they have no arguments in stock: the former head of Tatarstan is right.

Before Shaimiev’s speech, the Tatarstan authorities pretended to agree to the new law and rename their president. Now it looks like a game.

I do not rule out that Tatarstan may file an application with the Constitutional Court. But this is an extreme measure, and in Tatarstan (whose ideology is still being shaped by Shaimiev, the new president Minnikhanov is not capable of this) extreme measures are rarely taken. Most likely, Kazan will be able to convince the Moscow Kremlin to make an exception (especially since there are precedents) and allow the president of Tatarstan to be president.

Only the head of state of the Russian Federation and the head of the very first republic within the country will have such a position.