Vasiliev suits Putin by his remoteness from Dagestani clans

The agio around the replacement of Dagestani leader has forced the Kremlin to find a temporary compromise figure, remote from all the clans. However, after September 2018, Vasiliev will hardly retain the post, editors-in-chief of Dagestani mass media believe.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that today the Russian president has accepted the resignation of the head of Dagestan Ramazan Abdulatipov. Vladimir Vasiliev, the head of the “Edinaya Rossiya” (United Russia) faction in the State Duma, has been appointed the acting head of the republic.

In the opinion of Gadjimurad Sagitov, the editor-in-chief of the “Novoe Delo” newspaper, "Vasiliev is a temporary person in this post."

"You can judge by age – he’s 68 already. Most likely, he has a clear mission – to prepare a platform for the future republic head," Mr Sagitov said, noting that Vasiliev "had long been engaged in fighting economic crimes. In Dagestan, he will continue this work; he will conduct a ‘shock therapy’ and resign."

Milrad Fatullaev, the editor of the “Derbent” News Agency, believes that the appointment of an ethnic Dagestani to the post would be perceived ambiguously by republic’s residents. On the contrary, in his opinion, the Vasiliev's appointment will be welcomed.

"He has no strong ties with any well-known Dagestani names... The Abdulatipov’s appointment had somewhat discredited the federal centre in the eyes of the population, and Vasiliev should regain the lost confidence," Mr Fatullaev said.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.