Opposition of Tabasaran District believes that local authorities prevent their participation in Congress of Dagestani Nations

On November 30, a conference was held in the Tabasaran District, where out of representatives of 175 villages 61 delegates were elected to the Congress of Dagestani Nations. However, as reported by Migdat Gadjiev, chairman of the public organization named "Anticorruption Committee of Tabasaran District", not a single activist of his NGO was admitted to the conference. The Public Chamber of Dagestan promises that the NGO will be present at the congress.

"The building was guarded by a reinforced militia patrol and personal bodyguards of the head of the district Nurmagomed Shikhmagomedov. We were not allowed into the hall," Migdat Gadjiev, who is also honoured teacher of the Russian Federation, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

According to his story, none of the members of his organization, including three Deputies of the District Assembly, could take part in the conference. As a result, delegates to the Congress of Dagestani Nations were elected only from among supporters of the head of the district Nurmagomed Shikhmagomedov. The latter was not accessible for comments.

Immediately after the conference, the oppositionists addressed the members of the local government - Sefer Aliev, minister of land and property relations of Dagestan, and Azad Rakhimov, minister of justice, asking why the oppositionists were not let to the conference. "But we got no clear answer," said Migdat Gadjiev.

Messrs Rakhimov and Aliev were inaccessible for comments.

In Mr Gadjiev's opinion, the district authorities have ignored the instruction of the president of the republic - to ensure representation of all the territories and different population groups at the congress.

Kazikhan Kurbanov, a Deputy of the District Assembly and Deputy Chairman of the "Anticorruption Committee of Tabasaran District", said that out of the 73 dwelling settlements of the district meetings to nominate candidates were organized only in two - Gurik and Gisik; only on the initiative of local residents. "In other places school principals and village heads compiled, as instructed from above, formal protocols," he said.

According to his story, he was not admitted to the district conference, although he is a Deputy and was delegated by two entities - the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF) and the "Anticorruption Committee".

Radik Abdurizaev, chairman of the organizing committee of the conference of the Tabasaran District and Director General of the "Tabasaran Media Union", answered briefly to the question why the opposition was not let to the conference: "They were not elected to be delegates." According to his story, the hall was full of delegates during the conference, and it could not house all those who wanted to participate.

"There are honoured teachers, doctors and veterans among delegates," said the source of the "Caucasian Knot".

According to his story, the conference discussed counteraction to extremism and socio-economic problems.

Alyuset Azizkhanov, a member of the republic's organizing committee of the Congress and Vice-Chairman of the Public Chamber of Dagestan, believes that the information about the obstructions placed in front of the opposition was not ungrounded.

"The Public Chamber conducts its own monitoring of this issue in all the districts. We held a sitting of the Chamber, including with participation of organizations from localities, where we also considered the statement of the 'Anticorruption Committee of Tabasaran District". The Public Chamber of Dagestan has expressed its concern on this occasion. We undertook a commitment that this organization will be represented at the Congress by the Public Chamber," Mr Azizkhanov told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

He presented statistics, according to which Dagestan has 2215 non-commercial associations. "Of these, there are 667 NGOs, but not all of them are alive. Only every sixth NGO presents reports about its activities to the Ministry of Justice of the Republic, as required by the law," said Azizkhanov.

In his opinion, such organizations either hide something, or they just have nothing to say. "I raised the issue about liquidation of these organizations by court decision, so that others could come in their stead and work," he has added.