Local Self-Government in the Period of Political Modernization of Russian Society: Regional Features of Formation and Development

The article deals with regional features of formation and development of local self-government authorities as institutions of civil society, analyzes some main stages, examines federal and regional laws and regulations aimed to reform corresponding power structures.
At the initial formation stage, the former city and district Councils of People’s Deputies were terminated, and their powers were transferred to corresponding local self-government agencies. Thereafter, efforts were made to clarify regional features of formation of political systems and local self-government bodies.
In Kabardino-Balkaria, the transition period witnessed a rigid vertical power structure: chairmen selected by (and from) members of self-government councils were appointed heads of city and district executive offices just according to presidential decrees. In turn, heads of city and district executive offices appointed chairmen selected by (and from) deputies of local self-government councils as heads of village, settlement or stanitsa (Rus. ‘a village inside a Cossack host’) executive offices. The fact that same individuals held positions in both representative and executive authorities aimed to eliminate the risk of any confrontation between the two branches of power at the local level. 
In Kalmykia, district and Elista city executive offices were headed by presidential representatives appointed and released from office by the president of the republic only. In villages, settlements and district-level towns those were presidential representatives who appointed heads (Kalm. akhlachi) of executive offices; thus, presidential representatives, village and town heads established a unified system of executive power subordinate to the president of the republic.
During the transition period, such restructurization of public and local authorities helped avoid confrontation between powers and facilitated the efficient functioning of local self-government agencies and the whole political system in general, thus contributing to stabilizing the ethno-political situation in the regions.
The paper also studies arrangements of state authorities regarding execution of the Federal Law of October, 6 2003 On General Principles of Organization of Local Government in the Russian Federation and the Roadmap for Administrative Reform (2006–2008). As a result, a new self-governance model was developed in the regions: formation of representative bodies through elections, appointment of a head of the local executive office by the self-government council following the results of a corresponding competition, delineation of powers between public and local authorities. It is noteworthy that territorial changes in a number of municipalities without due regard of residents’ opinions lead to degradations of socio-political discourse.
The work summarizes joint experiences of municipal authorities and public associations aimed to develop institutions of local self-governance and civil society. Special attention is paid to problems that hamper formation of local self-government as an independent social institution, thus determining some prospects for the development of local self-governance in the republics.

local self-government, state, law, reform, features, civil society

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