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Situation in Chechnya

FORTHCOMING PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
IN THE CHECHEN REPUBLIC

Holding presidential elections in Chechnya (October 5th, 2003) calls for the realization of the results of the constitutional referendum in this Republic on March 23rd this year, the results that both Russia’s Central Electoral Commission and international monitors spoke highly of.

The forthcoming elections are the next scheduled important step towards political settlement in this Caucasian Republic. It is a stride on the way of integration of the Chechen Republic into the legal framework of the Russian Federation. Presidential elections and the following transfer of all powers into the hands of the President will be a qualitative leap in changing the situation there. All speculations about legitimacy of A.Maskhadov and, therefore, the necessity to conduct talks with him will totally lose grounds.

The republican leadership and members of Chechnya’s election commissions are set on holding democratic, open, free and fair elections, strictly in compliance with the legislation of the Russian Federation, the Constitution of the Chechen Republic and universally recognized norms of International Law.

The republican and territorial election commissions have been set up and made operational. At present there are 11 presidential contenders in the Chechen Republic. The Chechen Electoral Commission stopped accepting registration papers at 6.00 pm Moscow time on August 20th from those wishing to run for the presidency. According to the regulations by that time each of the candidates was due to submit a minimum of 11,000 signatures by people supporting them.

There will be 410 polling stations on the territory of Chechnya. It is expected that around 600,000 voters will take part in the elections. Among them there are 30,000 soldiers who are deployed in the Republic on a permanent basis.

Heads of the EU and OSCE have already expressed their interest in sending observers to the elections. The Russian State Duma (lower chamber of the Federal Parliament) plans to send MPs from various factions to monitor the forthcoming presidential elections in Chechnya. Altogether there are planned to be more than 300 observers from 20 countries and international organisations.