Acting head of Dagestan supports idea of direct elections

The acting head of the Dagestani Republic, Ramazan Abdulatitov, says he supports the idea of electing regional leaders by popular vote.

"We should all establish a system, in which regional leaders are elected by people," he said.

The Russian parliament has recently passed a law, which allows the country's regional legislatures to choose between direct and indirect elections. The initiative was harshly criticized by the Russian opposition.