Ingushetia as a Microcosm of Putin’s Reforms

In the wake of the massacre at the Beslan schoolhouse in North Ossetia in early September 2004, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a major reform intended to fight terrorism. “What we are facing is direct intervention of international terror directed against Russia," he said. He promised to prepare "a range of measures designed to strengthen the unity of the country." On September 13th, he announced his decision to replace all the elected governors and presidents of the Russian Federation’s 89 regions with appointed officials. According to Putin’s proposal, his appointments are subject to the approval of the regional legislatures, but if they reject his nominees twice, Putin is empowered to dissolve those legislatures. At the end of October 2004 the Duma approved Putin’s proposal by a vote of 356-64, with four abstentions. A vast majority of the regional legislatures expressed support for Putin’s reform as well, albeit with criticism that the provision for dissolving the legislatures was unconstitutional. In short, there was substantial official support for the measures that Putin took in response to Beslan. But what is the relationship between abolishing elections, fighting terrorism, and unifying the country? The case of Ingushetia sheds some light on the question. […]

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