Mintimer Shaimiev: “Parliament is a great achievement of society of all times and a necessary instrument for a civilised state”

The republican scientific-practical conference “Development of parliamentarism, statehood and democracy in the Republic of Tatarstan” timed to the 10th Anniversary of the RT State Council was held in Kazan on April 4. RT President Mintimer Shaimiev, Chairman of the RT State Council Farid Mukhametshin, top officials, scientists, artists and clergy of the republic attended the forum.

Tatarstan President Mintimer Shaimiev greeted deputies of the State Council of the last three convocations. He said that the Parliament is a great achievement of society of all times and a necessary instrument for a civilised state. Talking about the cradle of parliamentarism in Tatarstan, the President noted that elements of the institution of democracy had already appeared in times of the October revolution. Meanwhile, he said that “before the perestroika our republic was under the total control of the union centre and in fact was a republic only nominally”. Being a year of declaration of the state sovereignty, 1990 was a turning point. The RT Supreme Council assumed functions of the higher representative body of power in Tatarstan. This period is connected with a number of decisions of great importance for the republic, including the adoption of the RT Constitution, the Declaration of State Sovereignty, working out of the Treaty on delimitation of jurisdictional subjects and mutual delegation of authority, which allowed to escape political confrontation, Mintimer Shaimiev underlined. Talking of today, the President marked the necessity of active work of the opposition in the political life of the republic, which would be able to present a wide range of opinions.

Head of the RT President’s Administration Ekzam Gubaidullin, acting RT Firsr Deputy Prime Minister ravil Muratov, acting RT Deputy Prime Minister Zilya Valeeva, Deputy Chairmen of the RT State Council Yuri Kamaltynov and Rimma Ratnikova, RT State Council Secretary Valentina Lipuzhina and other officials took part in the meeting.