Yaraliev did not sign the appeal to Medvedev on candidate for Dagestan President

Imam Yaraliev, a candidate to the post of Mayor of Derbent, former public prosecutor of Dagestan and currently the head of the Suleiman-Stalskiy District, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that the letter with his signature disseminated by mass media and addressed to President Dmitri Medvedev, asking to support Saigidgusen Magomedov, head of the Department of the Federal Exchequer for Dagestan, to the post of the President of Dagestan was a provocation.

The appeal addressed to Russian President allegedly signed by Imam Yaraliev and other former candidates for Mayor of Derbent Elkhan Kazimov and Salikh Ramazanov has appeared in a number of federal mass media.

Mr Yaraliev told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that there is a legal procedure of electing the President of Dagestan, and everyone should follow it.

"The President is competent to present the candidate he believes apt," said Imam Yaraliev. "There's no reason to write any appeals, and I never supported such measures."

Imam Yaraliev has noted that he will support the candidate presented by Dmitri Medvedev to the regional parliament.

We could not contact other alleged signatories of the appeal - Elkhan Kazimov and Salikh Ramazanov.

It is notable that Messrs Yaraliev, Kazimov and Ramazanov jointly challenged the Mayor election outcomes in Derbent; therefore, the outcomes were cancelled.