In late April, Federation Council Chairperson Valentina Matviyenko proposed uniting a number of Russian regions into fewer, larger ones (TASS, April 24). This proposal should be understood against the background of a series of recent domestic security–related initiatives by the Russian authorities—namely, the creation of the National Guard (see EDM, April 7) and the appointment of a police general to the position of human rights ombudsman (Interfax, April 22). The purpose of this “tightening of the screws” is to block potential civil protests that could erupt following the upcoming September elections to the State Duma. Matviyenko’s proposal fits this policy …read more
Source: The Jamestown Foundation