KAZAN, Russia — The former president of Russia’s Tatarstan Republic, Mintimer Shaimiyev, says the ruling United Russia party must make changes to its ethnic policies to be successful in future elections, RFE/RL’s Tatar-Bashkir Service reports.Shaimiyev, a founding member of United Russia, said on March 31 that he had some questions for the party’s current leaders regarding some of its policies.”United Russia has to consider some issues rather critically and change them [in order] to meet the challenges that lie ahead [in future elections],” he said.Shaimiyev, 74, said the party’s policy on ethnic problems and the ways it implements those policies were among the issues that need to be modified.He also defended Tatarstan’s right to have its own president, despite the fact the Russian parlia…