Reform at a Half Year from Readiness,or What Exactly "Independence in the Resolution of Questions of Local Significance" Is Going to Mean

The heat of the discussion on the coming municipal reform has reached a high point. Evidence of this can be found, in particular, in what happened in the Kaliningrad State Council. Unfortunately, the time until the start of the active phase of the reform—on January 1, 2006—is growing smaller and smaller, while the number of questions that need to be resolved is not diminishing, and is even increasing. On July 8, the State Duma is to consider a law concerning the date for the beginning of the reform. And from all indications, the deputies will not be hurrying it.