The legislature of Bashkortostan recently moved up presidential elections in the republic from December to 14 June, and the new date is likely to benefit the current authorities, Bashkortostan journalist Eduard Khusnutdinov told RFE/RL's Moscow bureau on 17 March. A summer election will depress turnout in urban areas. In addition, heads of city administrations are currently appointed by Bashkortostan President Murtaza Rakhimov, but by December many will have been popularly elected. Perhaps most important, the presidential campaign has begun before the Constitutional Court has ruled on an appeal by the State Duma against the Bashkortostan electoral law, which requires the president to speak the Bashkir language. Since only some 20 percent of the population speaks that language, the law narrows the field of presidential candidates considerably.
Khusnutdinov edited the newspaper ``Vechernii Neftekamsk'', which was recently shut down (see ``RFE/RL Newsline'', 29 January 1998). LB
18 марта 1998г. Радио ``Свобода'' / ``Свободная Европа'' --- Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty