Khakassia Governor Rejects Controversial Centralization of Local Governance

The leader of Khakassia, a republic in southern Siberia, vetoed a contentious bill on Wednesday that aimed to eliminate the region’s two-tier local governance system, consolidating authority under a centralized framework.

Valentin Konovalov, the regional head and a member of the Communist Party, criticized lawmakers from the ruling United Russia party for attempting to weaken local self-governance. His party firmly opposed the proposed reforms.

In March, federal lawmakers enacted legislation permitting regions to dissolve lower-tier municipal governments in favor of a single-tier system. President Vladimir Putin endorsed the bill later that month, with its implementation starting on June 19.

In response to the federal changes, the regional legislature in Khakassia, where United Russia dominates, introduced and passed a bill to abolish the lower level of local governance. However, Konovalov exercised his veto on the day it was scheduled to take effect.

Despite vetoing the bill, Konovalov returned a revised version from Khakassia’s regional legislature, which is mostly controlled by United Russia, on the very day it was meant to be enacted.

“The legislation restricts citizens’ access to government services and was passed without taking into account the perspectives of the rural communities,” the Khakassia administration stated, citing Konovalov’s remarks that lawmakers had “hastily” pushed the process.

Konovalov urged regional legislators to engage with local authorities regarding the bill and to conduct public hearings.

The federal reform has undergone over 1,000 amendments since its introduction in 2021, and it was anticipated that around half of Russia’s regions would maintain two-tier governance or make partial transitions to the new system.

Khakassia was one of 26 regions expected to implement the single-tier governance structure.