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Where there is no law, but every man does what is right in his own eyes, there is the least of real liberty
Henry M. Robert

Governors on the March

19 January, 1999 - 00:00

By Vitaly PORTNYKOV, The Day
Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov became one of the first Russian politicians to
comment on the State Duma decision to finally ratify the grand treaty with
Ukraine. For Luzhkov, it is treason pure and simple, treason to Sevastopol
which the Moscow city father stubbornly keeps calling a Russian city. It
is the grand accord ratified by the State Duma that Luzhkov thinks is the
first document recognizing Sevastopol's Ukrainian jurisdiction...

Meanwhile, Krasnoyarsk Governor Aleksandr Lebed threatens to suspend
Russian-Ukrainian agreements authorizing Ukraine to bury radioactive waste
on Siberian territory. Former General Lebed flouts these international
agreements, for he is the boss in his region and he continues to prove
this with extraordinary statements.

Of course, Luzhkov cannot stop the State Duma deputies or force them
to revise their own decision. Of course, Lebed cannot influence the execution
of international agreements, at least for the time being. Yet, the statements
by governors demonstrate quite well the extent to which regional authorities
in Russia look down on the central government and try to persuade us that
it is they who understand the real interests of Russians, while those in
the Kremlin, the White House, and Parliament only care about their own
political gains. And deservedly so. For the Russian crisis is hardly increasing
the center's leverage but is obviously giving the governors a free hand
to act according to the principle "those who drown are themselves responsible
for lifesaving."

And yet another conclusion for the future. Both Luzhkov and Lebed will
run for the presidency, so almost every statement they make can be considered
part of the election campaign. Even now it is clear that the Russian presidential
campaign will just not do without the Ukrainian card. The candidates will
be "defending" Russians as much as they can, and we will have to decide
more than once whether or not to take offense or shrug off yet the latest
flurry of demagogy.

 

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