Social and Legal Status of Elected Officials of the Kalmyk Steppe

Abstract

The article considers the social and legal status of the elected officials of the Kalmyk steppe in the 19th century. Besides, the social and legal status of an aymac’s and hoton’s chiefs in the Kalmyk steppe in the 19th  century and that of a settlement’s heads in the 20th centuries are compared. Social status is a set of roles which a person is compelled to execute possessing a certain position in the society. Legal status is a part of social status regulated by the rules of law. The term “status” is translated from Latin as “a situation or a state of someone (something)”. In this regard, social-legal status can be defined as a legally fixed provision of a subject. The basic elements of legal status of an elective official are rights, freedoms and duties. The powers of elective offi cials of local governments commence on the date of a person’s appointment to a position but not on the date of elections, and expire on the day a position is taken by another newly elected official. This situation provided continuity of work of official bodies and officials’ responsibility for solving the matters of local significance. The most highly approved official signed a document confirming the status of a person appointed as an elective offi cial of local government for a certain term. In case an official holding an elective office in local governments violated his rights causing harm to property or neglected his official duties, his power could be stopped. So, an elected person’s power could terminate not only in connection with term’s expiration but also ahead of a schedule. The procedure of release or discharge from a position was initiated by the aymak’s chief who forwarded it to the manager of an ulus who in his turn directed the petition to the Management of the Kalmyk people. Age, sexual and property characteristics were the main symbols of the electoral system in elections of officials during the period under consideration. The author comes to the conclusion that the elections to local governments - ulus and aymac - allowed to change social and legal status in a traditional society.