Interview with Chechen presidential contender Nikolay Payzulayev

- Would you tell of your biography?

- I was born in Grozny in 1948. I've got a higher education. Now I am a leading specialist of the Chechen acting president's press-cutting service. I am an engineer-constructor by profession. I am an active participant in social and political events in Chechnya.

- Why did you decide to propose yourself as candidate?

- I know people's state well as I have come from a people. I work as a loader and a carrier. I made my bread by the sweat of my brow. I deeply sympathize with my fellow countrymen and believe that only a man who came from the plain people can sincerely serve them. And I am ready for it.

- Who are your voters?

- The most miserable people who live beyond a poverty line, who lost their relatives, the humbled and the insulted, which are great in number.

- How do you estimate a current situation in the Chechen Republic? I'd like to stress two moments: the dilemma "Chechnya-Ichkeria" and a situation with the opposition and its influence...

- In my opinion, the belligerents should have come to a logical end, to an agreement on the basis of negotiations. But as long as neither Ichkeria, nor Russia have not come to it, we must make our choice; we must not infinitely stay in a suspended state, without power of full value being elected. Pans fight, but innocent, especially, young people loose their forelocks. The Chechen society is eager to establish peace on this land and ready for the election. There is no alternative way, no opposition either.

- To what extent are the central media subjective while covering Chechen events?

- There is no objectivity at all. Everything they have said or written before have turned against people.

- What will be your first practical steps if you win the elections?

- To finally settle relationships with Russia. To achieve that people treat Chechnya and the Chechens just as the do other subjects of the Russian Federation and other nations. To ease the state of the groups of people living in poverty by all possible means, to save them from violence by means of tight control over all security agencies and so on.

- Would you tell of your election program?

- The priorities of my program are the following: to find the missing at any price, to stop illegal detentions of citizens and restrain the displacement of the military along the republic's territory, to take away sentry posts, to get displaced people back and so on.

- Who do you consider to be your principal rival?

- Kadyrov.

- How do you estimate your odds for success?

- We have a constant contact with the population, feel understanding, support. If there is the second round, I am sure I will reach it. If the election comes to an end in the first round, Akhmad Kadyrov will surely win, with his agitation ability being taken into consideration.

- What are the peculiarities of your election campaign?

- Our live meetings with people, which the other contenders can hardly boast of.

- What is your estimation of election campaigns of the other contenders?

- Of course, all the contenders have different resources, but the TV and press appearances are assigned uniformly according to schedule.

- Do you believe the votes will be fairly counted?

- No, I don't.

- What is your attitude towards the counter-terrorist operation? Have it been changed with time?

- This operation goes with considerable violations of Russian laws. I do not see any changes in principal respect.

- Are there any difficulties in the course of your election campaign?

- We feel obstacles from the direction of no one ("forest brothers", opponents). There are no noticeable difficulties.