Putin's reforms are undemocratic says governor (1st gov. to speak out)

Putin's reforms are undemocratic says governor
By Tom Parfitt in Moscow
(Filed: 19/09/2004)

A Russian governor has become the first to break ranks over Kremlin plans to abolish elected regional heads and replace them with appointees, attacking the proposals as "undemocratic and unconstitutional".

Vladimir Tikhonov, the governor of Ivanovo region, told The Telegraph that the reforms announced by President Vladimir Putin last week in the wake of the Beslan school siege, and the hijacking of two airliners, were against the law.

"From the point of view of development of democracy this is a step back," said Mr Tikhonov, who was summoned from Ivanovo, 200 miles north-east of Moscow to a special cabinet meeting last week.

Mr Putin's proposed new legislation will replace the elected heads of the 89 regions with appointees, confirmed by regional assemblies, as part of a package of measures to increase security and "unify state power".

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/09/19/wruss19.xml&sSheet=/news/2004/09/19/ixnewstop.html

Putin can do anything he wants and we have no moral standing to say or do ANYTHING about it. Good ol' Dumbya

A glimpse into the future with bush