after almost 11 years in the position. De facto Ingushetia has no active leader. Civil protests continue, Ingush people boycotting the Russian appointed elections. Politics Up until the dissolution of the Soviet state, Ingushetia was part of the Chechen-Ingush ASSR of the Russian Soviet Socialist Republic. In the late 1920s – early 1930s the Soviet officials were eager to enforce the Chechen-Ingush merger as an "objective" and "natural" process. The Soviet linguist Nikolay Yakovlev, who was a supporter of the merger, suggested that an inclusive name of "Veinakh" ("our people") had to be used for both the Chechens and Ingush. According to his views, the rapid urbanization and rapprochement of the Chechens and Ingush within one and the same republic might encourage the formation of a common culture and language and the establishment of a unified "Veinakh" people. During the late 80's, together with the separatist tendencies across the Soviet Union, the Second Congress of the Ingush People was held in Grozny on September 9–10, 1989. The gathering was directed at the top leadership of the Soviet Union, and included a request to "restore the Ingush people's autonomy within their historical borders, the Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic with a capital in the right-bank part of the city of Ordzhonikidze". The Ingush Republic was to be organized out of six traditional Ingush districts (including the contested Prigorodny District). The rise of the Russian Federation gave the Ingushetians the independence they vowed for. During the 1990s, Ingushetia was ruled by its elected president Ruslan Aushev, a former Soviet general and hero of the war in Afghanistan. The head of government and the highest executive post in Ingushetia is the Head. Recent heads: Ruslan Aushev: November 10, 1992 (Head of the Republic until March 7, 1993) – December 28, 2001 Akhmed Malsagov (interim): December 28, 2001 – May 23, 2002 Murat Zyazikov: May 23, 2002 – October 30, 2008 Yunus-Bek Yevkurov: October 30, 2008 – June 26, 2019 Makhmud-Ali Kalimatov: June 26, 2019–present Recent Chairmen of the Government: Ruslan Tatiyev: March 24, 1993 – July 5, 1993 Tamerlan Didigov: July 5, 1993 – March 21, 1994 Mukharbek Didigov: March 21, 1994 – December 9, 1996 Belan Khamchiyev: December 10, 1996 – August 3, 1998 Magomed-Bashir Darsigov: August 3, 1998 – November 24, 1999 Akhmed Malsagov: November 24, 1999 – June 14, 2002 Viktor Aleksentsev: August 26, 2002 – June 3, 2003 Timur