KREMLIN CALLS TALK ABOUT PRESIDENTIAL INTERFERENCE IN
EKATERINBURG
SITUATION "SLIGHT OF HAND"
Interfax-Religiia,
17 May 2019
The Kremlin declared that the decision of Ekaterinburg
authorities to
conduct a survey of local residents on the issue of the
construction of a
church following the reaction by the head of state cannot be
called evidence of
their ineffectiveness.
"Local authorities held a dialogue with residents of
Ekateriburg
before the president's statement. The president simply spoke
more clearly and
in this case they, as the regional authority, took heed,
including to the head
of state's opinion," Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary of the
Russian
president, said.
This is how he responded to the question of journalists
whether the
poll of residents, which was scheduled after Vladimir Putin's
statements about
the situation around building a church in the center of
Ekaterinburg, shows
that local authorities demonstrated their own inability to
resolve
independently problems of the region.
"To speak of ineffectiveness of the authorities, based
on this,
seems to me to be wrong," Peskov noted.
To a clarifying question whether the intervention of the
president in
the situation around the church in Ekaterinburg seems to the
Kremlin somehow a
switch to hands-on control, the press secretary of the head of
state answered:
"The president did not intervene. Journalists asked him and the
president
explained. He spoke with the journalists. They put a question to
him, and he
did not take the initiative to intervene."
In Peskov's opinion, talk about the president's
interference in the
situation in Ekaterinburg is "slight of hand."
He noted that the question whether it is necessary to
conduct a
referendum or survey regarding church construction should be
decided by
regional authorities.
"This is their prerogative. The Kremlin cannot make a
decision here,"
Peskov said.
As reported, on Thursday Putin stated that a church
should unite people
and not divide them, and in this regard "some steps are needed
from both
sides in order to resolve this question in the interests of all
people who
really reside there."
"There is a simple process—conduct a survey. And the
minority
should submit to the majority. The principle of democracy
consists of this. But
at the same time it surely is necessary to respect the opinion
and interests of
that minority," Putin declared.
Since 13 May, in Ekaterinburg, unsanctioned mass
protests have been
going on against the construction of a cathedral of Saint
Catherine on October
Square, where there now is a park. In the three days of conduct
of the
demonstrations, dozens of persons have been arrested and the
total number of
those held in custody because of the situation with building the
church has
reached into the thirties. (tr. by PDS, posted 17 May 2019)
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