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Chechen ombudsman proposes doubling term of office of Chechen president and parliament

By Ruslan Isayev

GROZNY, Chechnya – The Chechen human rights commissioner Nurdi Nukhazhiyev has proposed that the term of office of the president and parliament of the Chechen Republic should be increased from four to seven or eight years. In a statement given to journalists on Wednesday the ombudsman requested a similar extension of the term of office of the President of the Russian Federation.

Nukhazhiyev considers such a step necessary at this stage in Chechnya’s development, and bases his argument on the findings of an opinion poll conducted by the Ombudsman’s Institute. "The survey showed that over 90% of young people under the age of 30 support the need to increase the term of office of the president and parliament of Chechnya. Among citizens in the 30-50 age group the figure of those who support the measure was 87%," the document points out.

In order to increase the term of office it will be necessary to amend the current Constitution of the Chechen Republic, according to which both president and members of Parliament are elected for a term of four years. The Chechen authorities recently announced that the amendments to the constitution will be introduced via a referendum which will take place before the end of this year.

(D/T)