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Russia’s Volga republic moves to eliminate ‘president’ title

Under the Russian federal law adopted in December 2010, the presidents of other republics are to change their titles to heads, leaving only one president in Russia

Bashkortostan' capital, city of Ufa ITAR-TASS/Nikolai Marochkin

Bashkortostan' capital, city of Ufa

© ITAR-TASS/Nikolai Marochkin

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UFA, December 25. /TASS/. Lawmakers in Russia's Volga republic of Bashkortostan voted on Thursday to rename the title of the republic’s leader from “president” to “head,” the parliament’s press service said.

Rustem Khamitov is to be officially called the head of the republic since January 1, 2015.

Under the Russian federal law adopted in December 2010, the presidents of other republics are to change their titles to heads, leaving only one president in Russia.

The leader of the neighboring republic of Tatarstan, in the Volga Federal District, Rustam Minnikhanov, now remains the only president of Russia’s federal subject.

Chechnya’s leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who changed his title to head back in September 2010, told the parliament that the idea was his own initiative and called on the presidents of other republics to follow his example.

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