Tatarstani Presidential Aide Rebuts Criticism of Edict on State Administration

This summer Tatarstani President Mintimer Shaymiyev issued an edict "On Measures To Improve the Activity of Organs of State Administration of the Republic of Tatarstan." Rossiyskaya Gazeta has already published its opinion of this document (see "Forward Into the Past?, " Rossiyskaya Gazeta of 24.8.01). Today we give the floor to Ekzam Gubaydullin, head of the Tatarstani president's apparatus.

The essence of this edict is to incorporate executive branch bodies into a single system so that they work harmoniously and in a coordinated fashion and so that every leader knows for what and to whom he is responsible. Here the following question may occur to some people: Since when has the executive branch in Tatarstan been working unsystematically? Of course, there was a system. In each rayon and city administration there were sector departments (administrations) (upravleniye) -- education, health, social protection, agriculture, for questions of industrial development, and so on. They coordinated their activity with republic ministries and departments. For example, the local administration's education department (administration) was in direct control of schools and vocational and other educational establishments on the relevant rayon's territory.

A similar situation existed in other spheres of government. But at the same time administrations' departments and administrations seemed to exist independently of the corresponding republic ministries and departments, which created substantial difficulties in carrying out state administration in various spheres of the republic's vital activity. Sometimes it gave rise to a lack of coordination of actions and led to adverse consequences. The population and the specific cause suffered because of it. According to the edict, local administrations' sector departments and administrations were transformed into republic ministries' territorial bodies. At the same time they retained their "horizontal" subordination, that is to say they remained under the control of heads of local administrations and they are part of the rayon and city government system. In addition, leaders of territorial bodies of state administration will be appointed to their posts on the recommendation of heads of administrations. This "dual subordination" should serve to increase the said bodies' responsibility for the results of their work. The superior ministry will monitor the fulfillment of specific functions (development of the economy, education, and health care). While heads of administrations will ensure that these bodies and all the functions fulfilled by them become an organic part of a single life-support system of a rayon (city). In this case a comprehensive approach is ensured, whereby all sectors of the economy and social sphere develop harmoniously and interdependently.

This system of government was the subject of detailed discussion with heads of local administrations. There were doubts that it curtails the powers of heads of administrations but after a long debate everybody was convinced that the edict does not change the objectives, powers, or functions of local administrations. Right now the process of forming republic ministries' territorial bodies is already under way. The statutes concerning them have been approved, a mechanism of collaboration between these bodies and local administrations is being put in place, and personnel questions are being decided. The territorial bodies' backbone will be formed by specialists in the local administrations' relevant sector departments who have already worked in their own sectors and who know all problems from the inside. Agreement on and the appointment of leaders of the relevant ministries' territorial bodies has already been almost completed. Local administrations are also making the relevant changes to their structure to preclude the possibility of the duplication of structural subdivisions' functions. We believe that the measures planned by us will serve to increase the "efficiency coefficient" of state administration in the republic.