Chechen people support their presidentRuslan Isayev, North Caucasus - Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov´s five-year term of office formally expired on January 27, 2002. He stayed in the office though, as the State Defense Committee GKO decided to prolong his presidential powers to an indefinite period due to the war in the republic (see Prague Watchdog's report of January 16).
Two weeks ago Maskhadov declared January 27 the Day of Honour and invited all Chechens to take part in rallies for his support and against the war. January 27 was chosen since on that day five years ago democratic elections were held in the Chechen Republic. They were recognised by the Russian Federation and supervised by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
Many people responded to Maskhadov´s appeal and gathered to various supportive rallies in Chechen cities as well as in most refugee camps in Ingushetia. Thousands of people in Grozny held banners with slogans supporting their president and calling for the withdrawal of the Russian military. Official permissions to organise rallies in the refugee camps in Ingushetia were at first issued by the Ingush authorities but later taken back. The Ingush Ministry of Internal Affairs tried to block roads leading to refugee camps, stopped buses carrying Chechen people, etc. Many Chechen refugees still managed to gather and express their protest against the war. The participants in the rally in refugee camp Sputnik called in an open letter on various international institutions (PACE, OSCE) to help.
(To be continued)
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