Below is an article published by Itar-Tass News Agency;

The agreement on power sharing between the federal center and Tatarstan is absolutely faultless, Tatarstan leader Mintimer Shamiyev said at a session of the Kazan legislature on Thursday.

"The treaty is absolutely faultless from the legal point of view, and the voting at the Federation Council on February 21 was politicized," Shaimiyev said in comments on senators' refusal to support the document on Wednesday.

"It is explained by the fact that we already find ourselves in a pre-election political space; the election company has effectively started," he said.

"The veto imposed by the politicized upper chamber makes it easier for United Russia to run their election work, because all the Tatarstan population supports the document," the president went on to say.

"The central headquarters of United Russia will evaluate the situation shortly," he added.

Shaimiyev assured the Kazan legislators that the republic would continue work on the treaty.

"We have a tremendous experience in settling difficult problems. Hopefully, a solution will be found," he said.

The power sharing treaty envisions that the Russian government and the Tatarstan Cabinet will conclude an agreement on joint solution of issues linked to economic, environmental, and cultural specifics of the republic.

The work on the document began in 2001. It was submitted to the State Duma by the Russian president. The lower house approved it on February 9.