On the eve of Chechen elections: Alkhanov is the most visibleTimur Aliyev, North Caucasus – On the eve of the Kremlin-staged presidential election in Chechnya, the feelings of the Chechen people regarding the ongoing campaigns are ambivalent. However, in effect everyone interviewed by this Prague Watchdog correspondent agrees that the Chechen media are endorsing the Kremlin-picked presidential candidate Alu Alkhanov.
Bislan Sentyabriyev, businessman, 28:
“I often see Alkhanov on TV. It’s clear that Moscow provides him with PR support otherwise he would not be able to appear in the news so often. Nevertheless, judging by his public appearances, I think he is a good man. He seems to be serious and competent.”
Roman Gashayev, unemployed, 29:
“I usually don’t read newspapers, but I have noticed that the message in the newspapers as well as on Chechen and Russian TV is completely the same – it is all about Alkhanov. The situation is the same as during the election of Kadyrov last year and the election of Putin in March.”
Aslambek Apayev, public figure, 40:
“There is a one-sided advertising campaign for Alkhanov going on. Every step he makes is in the news, but sometimes the information is not reliable. For example, it was reported that he is supported by a congress of 300 NGOs. What organisations were they from? At the same time, the other candidates do not appear in the media. The only things to be found about them in the newspapers are their election programs.”
Zaurbek Abdulkadyrov, student, 21:
“Alkhanov is in all the news about Chechnya. He appears in the Duma [the lower chamber of Russian parliament], he meets Chechen diaspora, he opens a kindergarten in Grozny. Other candidates are not so visible. This applies not only to Chechen TV but also to the all-Russian channels as well.”
Ziavdi Dadayev, taxi-driver, 43:
“Posters of Alkhanov are everywhere. Only recently have pictures of [rival candidates] Visayev and Abuyev appeared. What is the meaning of that? Everyone knows that Alkhanov will win anyway. All the rest is just for effect.”
Ruslan Abubakarov, worker in a prosecutor's office, 35:
“According to the local press, almost 70% of voters will participate in the election. Arsakhanov, chairman of Election Commission, said that there won’t be a second round. He made it clear that Alkhanov is to win in the first round. It is also clear that the media was given the task of ensuring support for the Kremlin’s candidate. But it should not be done so openly.”
Shakhruddi Gigayev, pensioner, 61:
“I have seen a picture of Zavgayev, who is running for the post of president. I am troubled by that – former party workers trying to return to power. Or was it Bugayev? It doesn’t matter – he also is one who shouldn’t be allowed to work in state administration.
“All the local press works for Alkhanov. I still don’t know who he is. It is possible that he is a good man and will be a perfect president, but it is a shame that they don’t let us know about the other candidates. There is a lot of press, but almost no reliable information about the current situation.”
Natasha Ilyasova, vendor, 32:
“Like everyone else in Chechnya, I don’t believe the media information about the presidential election. Everything written and said about Chechnya is slanted, and we know perfectly well that the selection on behalf of the Chechen nation, including me, was made by President Putin.”
(H/E,T)
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