Our correspondents are reporting from all parts of Russia.
NIZHNI NOVGOROD. "The whole nation has elected its federal President, and he must have enough elbowroom to make the policies he deems necessary," says governor Gennadi Khodyrev of the industrial Nizhni Novgorod Region, in the Volga's middle reaches.
"I was among the governors who offered the arrangement to the President. The current electoral patterns occasionally fail to bring the fruit the public looks forward, what with an imperfect legal basis and huge money election campaigns devour.
"As I see it, democracy is appropriate when bills are debated in parliament. Now, executive bodies have no room for debates, and the best pattern for them is subordination from top to bottom. We ought to concentrate on our main target-economic progress and social welfare achievements."
TYUMEN. "The new formative patterns for executive bodies is democratic, and complies with constitutional norms," says governor Alexander Filipenko of the oil-rich Khanty-Mansi autonomous area in the Urals' north and West Siberia.
The world knows similar patterns, and they are deep-rooted in the past, he remarked. "The present situation makes them perfectly acceptable-even necessary. Don't forget that parliament can quash gubernatorial nominations the President makes."
"The new way by no means clashes with the Constitution," stressed Sergei Sobyanin, governor of West Siberia's Tyumen Region, also famous for gas- and oilfields.
He also vouches support for President Putin in reforming Russia's entire political arrangements, in particular, proportional representation to be introduced in the federal parliament.
"President Putin is doing the right thing. The Beslan tragedy came as a challenge to the entire nation, and Mr. Putin has my wholehearted support to bring this country into order and buttress executive authority," said governor Yuri Neyolov of the subarctic Yamal-Nentsi autonomous area.
Today as never before, regional leaders must clearly see that, as they govern their regions, they are responsible for the whole Russia, he added.
VORONEZH. The gubernatorial election reform, as proposed by President Putin, ought to spread to municipal elections, holds governor Vladimir Kulakov of the Voronezh Region, in Central Russia's south.
"The President's address was very timely, and precisely reflected current Russian developments. To promote Russia's unity is our central objective. Federal and local executive bodies are to make one whole, and it must be up to the President to appoint governors. We shall spread the arrangement to towns-that well provide guaranteed control of executive authority," said Mr. Kulakov, as quoted by his administration press centre.
NOVOSIBIRSK. "It has become quite evident today that Russia must re-arrange its entire government to guarantee administrative unity, and enable ruling bodies to act promptly and adequately in whatever emergency, says governor Victor Kress of the Tomsk Region, Siberia.
"As top executive of the Tomsk Region, I approve anti-terror moves the President has proposed.
"As for a gubernatorial election reform, the new pattern must be as open and democratic as possible. The task requires an updated legislative basis, and we are willing to come up with initiatives on the election reform as this country is mobilising its administrative resources to repulse the terror challenge," said Mr. Kress, as his PR informed Novosti.
