Ruslan Khasbulatov

Ruslan Khasbulatov (1944- ), Chechen-born Russian politician and professor of economics, who became Chairman of the Supreme Soviet for Russia in 1991. Born in Groznyy, in the Russian republic of Chechnya in the Caucasian region, Khasbulatov is an ethnic Chechen. His family was deported to Kazakhstan during World War II as part of a large-scale forced migration of hundreds of thousands of Chechens who were collectively labelled an “enemy nation” by the Soviet leadership. Khasbulatov received an advanced degree in economics from Moscow State University in 1965, and he worked at the Plekhanov Institute and the Moscow Institute of the National Economy as a professor of economics.

As chairman of the Supreme Soviet for Russia, Khasbulatov resisted the rapid transformation of the Russian economy. He sharply criticized the government of Acting Prime Minister Yegor Gaidar in 1992 and offered an alternative economic plan. He advocated a larger role for government in the economy and recommended controlling prices, subsidizing insolvent firms, restricting the operations of commercial banks, and implementing a more comprehensive social welfare system.

After the deterioration of economic conditions in the country in 1992, tension between Khasbulatov and Russian president Boris Yeltsin developed over the structure of political power and the course of economic reform in Russia. Khasbulatov sought to reduce Yeltsin's emergency presidential powers, and he led the effort to oust Gaidar, who was replaced by Viktor Chernomyrdin as prime minister at a vote of the Congress of People's Deputies in 1992. Under Khasbulatov's direction, the Congress rescinded powers granted to Yeltsin, including control over local administrators.

In 1993 Khasbulatov deemed unconstitutional Yeltsin's plans for a national referendum in the same year. Khasbulatov also decreed unconstitutional a proposal by Yeltsin to convene a constituent assembly. Despite his opposition, Khasbulatov attended the assembly, where he was prevented from addressing the delegates at one session, after which he and about 50 supporters walked out of the assembly.

Because of resistance by Khasbulatov and other conservative deputies to the work of the Constituent Assembly, Yeltsin dissolved the Congress of People's Deputies and the Supreme Soviet in September 1993. About 100 deputies and several hundred armed supporters, led by Khasbulatov and Aleksandr Rutskoy, denounced Yeltsin's order. They occupied the Russian parliament building, known as the White House, and refused to disband. A tense stalemate between the government and the rebel forces lasted several days. It was broken when rebel supporters staged an attack on the mayor's office and a television centre. The government responded by shelling the White House and arresting the occupiers. On October 4, 1993, Khasbulatov was taken prisoner after surrendering and charged with inciting mass disorder. The newly elected State Duma overturned the charges and granted Khasbulatov and other rebels amnesty in February 1994. Khasbulatov was released from prison soon after the Duma's decision, despite protests by Yeltsin and his supporters. In November 1995 he was prominent in negotiating a settlement following Chechnya's abortive attempt to secede from Russia. An opponent of Chechen independence, in December 2000 Khasbulatov nevertheless attacked the policies of Vladimir Putin in Chechnya and called for new peace talks.