Address

of the Extraordinary Republic Congress of the Mari People of December 23, 2004, to the President of the Russian Federation mr. V. Putin

Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich!

We the participants of the Extraordinary Republic Congress of the Mari People, on behalf of the Mari people living in the Republic of Mari El, are forced to pass the appeal in Your address in connection with the unbearable situation, which had established in the Republic of Mari El. We support You and the policy conducted by You in every possible way and we are not some nationalistic force, as the President of the Republic of Mari El frequently and without any reason loves to assert.

The Presidential elections in Mari El that have passed on December 19th, 2004, have yet again convincingly confirmed that the honest elections with the acting government of Republic of Mari El, are impossible. Mari people on behalf of its own name and name of all fraternal nations living on the territory of Mari El have repeatedly turned to you with the request to take the most severe and effective actions for the suppression of lawlessness and cruelty carried out the republic. The absence of specific measures to put the order in place in the Republic of Mar El allows to make conclusion that, either you are ultimately misled or the information does not reach you at all. Therefore the Extraordinary Republic Congress of the Mari People is turning to you with the request – to free the republic from L. Markelov – the man, who has no relation to Mari El and who in four years of administration has broken it up to the base. We do not perceive his victory in the elections as the result of his authority among the people or the results in the development of the economy of Mari El. Everybody have already understood long ago, that "we owe it solely to Markelov the beggarly existence of the Republic". And his victory in the elections – it is an utter falsity, everyone of us felt on ourselves, what are the elections in the Republic of Mari El and just how his “victory” was literally pressed. Why do they mock the Mari people? Why do they pinch our rights, publicly insulting our national feelings and pride? Where is the validity and law?

We request You to take special measures regarding the acting Mari El’s authorities under L. Markelov, and to present by Your decision a really worthy person to the post of the head of our republic: without criminal past, who respects the pride and honor of the indigenous population, capable to solve social and economic problems without embezzlement and bankruptcy of enterprises, and who really loves Russia and Mari El.

Initiative group of the Extraordinary Republic Congress of the Mari People