Tatarstan regional deputies oppose bill to rename republic's 'president' to 'head' as deadline looms
As the deadline for Tatarstan to amend its regional constitution to align with federal law draws near, the republic’s State Council Committee on State Construction and Local Self-Government has recommended withdrawing the draft amendments that would provide for changing the title of “President of the Republic” to “Head of the Republic.”
According to Kommersant, members of the committee expressed opposition to the proposed version of the bill both because of the office’s renaming and because the amendments would remove the requirement that the region’s leader know both the Russian and Tatar languages.
The proposed constitutional amendments would also allow current Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov to be reelected for a fourth term by setting his presidential term count back to zero, much like Russia’s 2020 constitutional amendments did for Vladimir Putin.
Additionally, amendments would remove the word “sovereignty” from the republic’s constitution and replace it with “statehood,” as well as removing the entire section on citizenship in Tatarstan. The amendments would also cancel the article of the constitution that bans “propaganda of war” and asserts that “Tatarstan rejects violence and war as a means of resolving disputes between governments and people.”
Tatarstan is the only Russian subject whose leader is still officially referred to as a president. In late 2021, the Russian State Duma adopted a law prohibiting regional leaders from using the title of president. Tatarstan is theoretically required to align its constitution with federal legislation by January 1, 2023.
