Here are excerpts from the decree by President Boris Yeltsin expanding the powers of his representatives, including Victor Kondratov in Primorye. The representatives are referred to as "plenipotentiaries" in the text.
Statute on the President of the Russian Federation's Plenipotentiary in Regions of the Russian Federation
I. General provisions
1. The President of the Russian Federation's plenipotentiary in a region of the Russian Federation … is an official representing the interests of the President of the Russian Federation on a portion of the Russian Federation territory comprising one or several subjects of the Russian Federation (also known as the respective region).
The plenipotentiary acts on behalf of the President of the Russian Federation with the purpose for the executive head of the nation to discharge his constitutional powers.
2. The plenipotentiary is a federal official and is a member of the President of the Russian Federation's administration. The plenipotentiary is appointed or dismissed by the President of the Russian Federation after presentation by director of the President of Russian Federation's administration. In the event of the removal of the president from office or his early resignation, the plenipotentiary shall be dismissed too.
II. The main objectives of the plenipotentiary
…
The main objectives of the plenipotentiary are:
- Assisting the President of the Russian Federation in discharging his constitutional powers;
- Informing the President of the Russian Federation of the political, social and economic situation within the respective region;
- Interaction with federal executive agencies and their territorial branches, executive agencies of the subject(s) of the Russian Federation, [and] local self-government agencies within the respective region, to secure the implementation of major domestic and foreign policies of the nation as determined by the President of the Russian Federation and of decrees and orders by the President of the Russian Federation;
- Interaction with political parties and other public and religious groups within the respective region.
- Execution of specific errands from the President of the Russian Federation.
III. Functions of the plenipotentiary
…
The plenipotentiary shall undertake the following:
- Coordinate activities of territorial branches of federal executive agencies when they interact with executive agencies of the Russian Federation subject(s), local self-government agencies, political parties, other public and religious groups, establishments, organizations and citizens;
- Submit for approval candidates for the directorial positions of federal executive agencies' territorial branches within the respective region;
- Participate in regional boards of federal executive agencies within the respective region;
- Work to elucidate and implement major domestic and foreign policies of the nation determined by the President of the Russian Federation, decrees, and orders of the President of the Russian Federation;
- Assist the execution of federal laws, decrees, and orders by the President of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Russian Federation, the implementation of federal programs within the respective region;
- Participate in the work of executive agencies of the subject(s) of the Russian Federation and self-government agencies within the respective region;
- Submit presentations to the Main Control Department of the President of the Russian Federation, appropriate federal executive agencies, and the executive head(s) of the subject(s) of the Russian Federation in case territorial branches of federal executive agencies or executive agencies of the subject(s) of Russian Federation within the respective region violate or fail to or improperly follow federal laws, presidential decrees, and orders as well as valid court decisions;
- Submit proposals to the President of Russian Federation about suspending the acts of executive agencies of the subject(s) of the Russian Federation within the respective region if the acts conflict with the Constitution of the Russian Federation or federal laws, or violate human or citizen's rights and freedoms;
- Submit proposals to the President of Russian Federation about applying to the Constitutional Court of Russian Federation if constitution(s), statute(s), as well as laws or other legal acts of the subject(s) of Russian Federation within the respective region do not comply with the Constitution of the Russian Federation;
- Take part on behalf of the President of the Russian Federation in conciliatory measures by the head of the nation to resolve disagreements between federal executive agencies and executive agencies of subject(s) of the Russian Federation as well as between executive agencies of the subject(s) of the Russian Federation within the respective region. In the event of a failure to achieve a concerted solution, the plenipotentiary shall submit a proposal to the President of Russian Federation to transfer the controversy to court;
- Submit for approval candidates for Russian Federation awards, letters of gratitude from the President of Russian Federation as well as titles of honor of Russian Federation, top military and other professional titles proposed by executive agencies of the subject(s) of the Russian Federation within the respective region;
- Deliver state awards of the Russian Federation and letters of gratitude from the President of Russian Federation on behalf of the President of Russian Federation within the respective region;
- Organize a public reception office, receive people, and consider letters, complaints and appeals of citizens in cooperation with the executive agencies of subject(s) of the Russian Federation within the respective region.
…The plenipotentiary is not entitled to interfere with the executive activity of the executive agencies of subject(s) of the Russian Federation, local governments, companies, or organizations within the respective region.
IV. The rights of the plenipotentiary
... The plenipotentiary shall have the right to:
- Request and receive via statutory procedures the necessary materials from independent subdivisions of the President of Russian Federation's Administration, federal executive agencies, executive agencies of subject(s) of the Russian Federation, local governments, companies and organizations within the respective region as well as from officials;
- Supervise the implementation of decrees and orders by the President of the Russian Federation, assist the head of the nation in supervising the observance of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, federal laws and, within his abilities, the implementation of federal programs [and] usage of federal property and federal budget money within the respective region;
- Submit proposals to the appropriate federal executive agencies concerning the encouragement or penalizing of directors of their territorial branches within the respective region;
- Use, if needed, specialists of the federal executive agencies and their territorial branches for checking and analyzing the affairs of companies and organizations within the respective region.
…The plenipotentiary shall enjoy an unimpeded access into federal and municipal offices and companies within the respective region.
V. Arranging and securing the activities of the plenipotentiary
The structure and staff numbers of the plenipotentiary's office (save the plenipotentiary's office in the Chechen Republic) shall be approved by the Director of the President of Russian Federation' administration after presentation by the plenipotentiary within limits determined by the President of the Russian Federation.
…
11. Staff of the president's representative are appointed and dismissed by the head of the head of Administration of the President of the Russian Federation, which coordinates the activities of the representatives of the President of the Russian Federation.
…
13. The representative and his staff will be located in the capital of the area of the federation or in the administrative center of the area of federation. The state flag of the Russian Federation shall be raised above the building where the representative works, and in his office should be the state flag of the Russian Federation and the state emblem of the Russian Federation.
14. The corresponding departments of the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation and Management Office of the President of the Russian Federation as well as the executive bodies of the subject area of the federation in the corresponding region of the Russian Federation provide information, documents, facilities and transport, office and living premises, medical and social services for the representative and his staff, following the agreement with the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation.
