CHECHNYA LINKS LIBRARY

Chechen election campaign picks up speed

By Lecha Sadayev

CHECHNYA - Although elections to the parliament of the Chechen Republic are still more than two months away, the first candidates have already entered the political ring. As of September 20, twenty-four people had applied for registration with the Chechen electoral committee.

Among those who expressed a desire to fight for parliamentary seats are Salambek Kunchalov, former member of the parliament of independent Chechnya; Amin Osmayev, a well-known ex-deputy of the Chechen-Ingush Supreme Soviet (an organ violently overthrown in 1991); Alavdi Matsuyev, head of one of the departments of the Security Council of the Chechen Republic; and Magomed Aslambekov, a member of the Achkhoi-Martan district police.

Twenty one political parties are permitted to take part in the elections, which the Kremlin scheduled for November 27. A list of the most powerful Russian political party, United Russia, contains a trio of people prominent in the republic: Dukvakha Abdurakhmanov, Minister of Agriculture in the Moscow-backed Chechen government; Taus Dzhabrailov, chairman of the State Council of the Chechen Republic; and Adlan Barzukayev, chairman of the Chechen government budgetary control committee.

A total of 61 deputies will be elected to the parliament of the Chechen Republic, which will consist of two chambers: the Council of the Republic and the People’s Assembly.

According to local political analysts and experts, the battle for political mandates in the parliament will “not be easy.”

Previous elections in Chechnya were accompanied by gross violations and critics say they were rigged and undemocratic.

(MG/A,E,T)