UN Interim Administration in Chechnya: letter of Nikolay Khramov and Anna Zaytseva to State Duma deputies

Moscow, September 20, 2003

We appeal to you once again on behalf of the Transnational Radical Party with regard to the international campaign carried out by the Party in support of the so-called "Akhmadov's plan", a principally new peaceful initiative launched by Foreign Minister of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria Ilyas Akhmadov this spring, the essence of which is a proposal to establish the UN Interim International administration in Chechnya with the simultaneous disarmament of all Chechen units and withdrawal of Russian troops from Chechnya. We sent you the complete text of Akhmadov's plan as far back as July of this year. It is also available on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria (www.chechnya-mfa.info).

As you know, on April 20, 2003 the Transnational Radical Party started the collection of signatures under the appeal to the UN Secretary-General and heads of the UN Member States and heads of their governments "For Establishment of the UN Interim Administration in Chechnya", which was initiated by the TRP.

7,848 citizens of 79 countries (out of which 1,756 Russians) have signed this appeal for peace and democracy in Chechnya so far, including 103 deputies of the European Parliament from almost all member countries of the Council of Europe (excluding Luxemburg); 112 deputies from national parliaments of 19 countries (Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Germany, Georgia, Iceland, Spain, Italy, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Lithuania, Macedonia, Norway, Nigeria, Poland, Russia, France, Croatia); 81 deputies from local and regional representative bodies of Germany, Italy, Poland, Russia, USA, France. Among the signatories are well-known politicians, public figures and workers of culture, such as Isabelle Adjani (actress, France), Elena Bonner (Sakharov Foundation, Chairwoman, Russia), Vladimir Bukovsky (writer, former political prisoner, Great Britain), Svetlana Gannushkina (writer, head of the "Civil Assistance" Committee, Russia), Andre Glucksmann (philosopher, France), Romain Goupil (producer, France), Vladimir Korsunsky (journalist, "Grani.ru" Internet Edition Editor-in-Chief, Russia), Aleksey Kortnev (musician, Russia), Bernard Koushner (former UN High Commissioner in Kosovo, France), Ida Kuklina (political analyst, Russia), Irene Lasota (Institute for Democracy in Eastern Europe, President, USA), Valeria Novodvorskaya (publicist, leader of the Democratic Union, Russia), Kazuo Okada (film director, Japan), Alexander Podrabinek (journalist, PRIMA News Agency Director, Russia), Lev Ponomaryov (director of the Movement "For Human Rights", Russia), Yury Samodurov (Director of the Museum and Public Center named after Andrey Sakharov, Russia), Jens-Christian Skou (Nobel Prize Laureate, Denmark), Adriano Sofri (writer, politician, Italy), Barbara Spinelli (commentator, Italy) and many others. The list of the deputies of the European Parliament, national parliamentarians, local deputies and well-known public figures who signed the appeal is attached to the given letter. The complete list of the signatories is also available on the websites www.radicalparty.org and www.radikaly.ru.

We earnestly ask you once again to familiarize yourself with the text of the appeal "For Establishment of the UN Interim Administration in Chechnya" and, if you agree with it, attach your signature to it.

We also ask you to initiate a discussion in the Russian parliament concerning the proposal on the establishment of the UN interim administration in Chechnya, submitting an appropriate draft resolution or appeal to the State Duma.

With the object of attracting public attention - and, first of all, the attention of your deputy corps colleagues - to the peace plan initiated by Akhmadov, we, the Russian members of the Transnational Radical Party, hold a manifestation under the motto "Chechnya: the UN Interim Administration, and Not the Imitation of Elections!" On behalf of the Coordinating Committee of Russian Radicals we invite you to take part in the manifestation, which will be held on Friday, October 3, at 12:00 - 14:00, on Theatre Square (in the park near the Bolshoy Theatre).

We call upon you to use the chance of leaving an appreciable trace in the history of Russia's political life by backing up the new peace plan, which can help us to find a mutually acceptable way out of the Russian-Chechen deadlock, put the end to this bloody war lasting almost ten years with a short break and achieve peace and democracy for all the Chechen and Russian people.

Sincerely hoping for your favorable report,

Nikolay KHRAMOV
Transnational Radical Party General Council Member,
Chairman of the Coordinating Committee of Russian Radicals.

Anna ZAYTSEVA
Deputy Chairwoman of the Coordinating Committee of Russian Radicals.