25 August 2003, 17:39
Chechen NGOs are going to hold conference devoted to forthcoming election in Chechen Republic
Activists of Chechen non-government organizations are going to hold a conference devoted to the forthcoming election in the Chechen Republic. The conference will be held in Nazran (the Republic of Ingushetia) on September 7.
Ruslan Badalov, a chairman of the Regional Public Movement "Chechen National Rescue Committee" told the correspondent about it on Saturday. "The subject of the conference is "Chechnya, October 5. Is There a Choice?" We intend to confirm our position, which we declared earlier, that we flatly refuse to participate in that farce which is called an "election of the president of the republic", says Badalov.
According to Badalov's words, elections in today's conditions may noticeably worsen the situation in the republic. The only way to try to end this deadlock, in his opinion, is to conduct direct negotiations of Russia's leadership not with its proteges but with the confronting party in the person of the president of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria Aslan Maskhadov.
"There is ample evidence of the martial law in Chechnya, - Badalov said. - It is blasphemous to speak about democratic elections in such conditions."
Source: Caucasus Times Website
