"There is a huge demand for normalcy": Activists from Udmurtia have published an updated declaration of the republic's sovereignty.
The original declaration was adopted exactly 35 years ago, on September 20, 1990. But it quickly “lost its force.”
The socio-political movement “Udmurtia against corruption” believes that the principles laid down in the foundation of this document can become a plan for restoring the democratic institutions of the republic in the future – after the war in Ukraine and the reign of Vladimir Putin.
“We feel that there is a huge demand for normality in the republic,” commented NotMoscow founder of the movement Ivan Eliseev. “100% of politically active residents of Udmurtia desire peace and a real opportunity to influence the government.”
Based on the original theses of the "Declaration-90" and the current opinions of residents, "Udmurtia Against Corruption" has created a new document, which has been named the updated declaration.
"The voting took place on our forum—the movement's open discussion platform," Eliseev explained. "Since the authorities often initiate criminal cases and sentence forum participants, the forum automatically deletes comments and posts every 24 hours. Therefore, several dozen people managed to vote on the points."
According to him, the nine points outlined in the updated declaration represent a comprehensive vision of a return to normality.
So, according to the document, Udmurtia It is proclaimed a sovereign state whose authority derives from its multinational people. The Declaration defines the supremacy of republican laws within its territory, the right of ownership of natural resources and economic potential, and independence in financial and administrative policy.
"Today, virtually all the principles of the original declaration are no longer valid," says Eliseev. "The basic principles (parliamentary government and independence within a federation) have long been removed from the documents, even formally. Certain formulations (such as the people being the source of power) exist in modern documents, but they don't work in practice."