Tatar Lawmakers Vote Against Moscow's Move To Abolish Title Of 'President' For Republic's Leader

KAZAN, Russia -- Lawmakers in Tatarstan have voted against a bill initiated in Russia's lower chamber of parliament -- the State Duma -- that would abort the title of president currently held by the head of the Russian autonomous republic.

The bill put forward late last month by a group of State Duma lawmakers proposed among other things to replace the title of president or regional administrations with the more generic title of "head."

The measure would only affect Tatar President Rustam Minnikhanov since a 2010 law has already banned the use of the title of president by the heads of Russia's autonomous republics -- with only Tatarstan preserving the right to call its leader "president."

Albert Khabibullin, a member of the Tatarstan State Council, said on October 25 that 82 out of the regional legislature members voted to reject the Duma bill on grounds that it would violate the constitution of the Russian Federation.