The International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights and the Moscow Helsinki Group renewed their calls to the Russian government today to postpone the presidential elections in the Chechen Republic scheduled for 29 August. Their call comes a day after the Central Election Commission of the Chechen Republic rejected the candidacy of Malik Saidullaev, a popular Chechen businessman, as a contender in the forthcoming ballot. (23-JULY-04)

The Commission cited multiple “irregularities” in Saidullaev´s registration application that appear spurious. According to one report, these include listing his place of birth as “Chechnya” as opposed to “the Chechen-Ingush republic” as it was known in the year of Saidullaev´s birth (1964) and not including enough information in his application about donors to his campaign fund.

In a telephone conversation with IHF, Mr. Saidullaev said that he had filled in the application form for the Chechen Presidency correctly, and that he used the information about his birth-place as is written in his passport; he had received it in 2003 in Moscow, and it was ruled valid in last year’s election. He further said that two days ago he received a phone call from the assistant of the head of the Election Commission, Arsakhanov, suggesting that he withdraw from the elections voluntarily, as he would be barred from running.

Neither free nor fair
“The Russian authorities are apparently not interested in running a free and fair ballot in Chechnya”, stated Dr. Aaron Rhodes, Executive Director of the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF). “Rather, much as in 2003, they are seeking to railroad the election of a favoured candidate in a one-horse race”, he added.

The IHF considers that conditions have not improved in the Chechen Republic since Akhmad Kadyrov was elected president in 2003 in a deeply flawed ballot condemned by, among others, the OSCE as being neither free nor fair.

“Free and fair elections are an essential part of any process of normalisation and democratic development”, stated Dr. Rhodes. “Yet, against the backdrop of fighting, “disappearances” and other serious human rights violations, the holding of presidential elections in the Chechen Republic is seriously premature”, he added.

Managed elections
In 2003, Malik Saidullaev had mounted a strong election campaign before his registration was cancelled by the authorities on the pretext that his staff had violated regulations on signature lists. Akhmed Kadyrov won that election virtually without challenge. In 2004, Russian authorities have made no secret of their preferred candidate for the elections, the current Interior Minister for the Chechen Republic, Alu Alkhanov.

“In removing Saidullaev from the race, the local and federal authorities have made it clear that Alu Alkhanov has already “won” the election”, stated Tanya Lokshina of the Moscow Helsinki Group, who closely monitored the 2003 ballot. “However, managed elections in the Chechen Republic will deceive neither the electorate nor the international community”, she added.

New plan
Recently, a group of Russian human rights NGOs submitted a joint plan to the Russian president and government aimed at the normalization of the situation in the Chechen Republic. The group, which included the Human Rights Centre “Memorial”, the Moscow Helsinki Group, the Information and Research Centre “Demos”, the Civic Assistance Committee, and the Anti-War Club proposed that the forthcoming presidential elections be postponed, a state of emergency in the Chechen Republic declared and direct federal governance introduced in the republic. They further recommended that the presence of international organizations in the republic be reinforced to achieve better transparency and address the prevailing climate of impunity for human rights violations.

The plan called for elections to be held only following the establishment of minimal conditions for conducting free and fair elections, as advocated by the OSCE and the Council of Europe. These conditions would include: a cessation of hostilities; an end to the state of emergency; and elections held with the active participation of international observers.

The IHF fully endorses this proposal and calls on the Russian government to postpone the elections until conditions exist that would permit the holding of a ballot, with a plurality of candidates, in accordance with international standards.

For more information contact:
Aaron Rhodes, Vienna: +43-676-635 6612
Tanya Lokshina, Moscow: +7-916-624 1906