Muzayev: No real contest in upcoming Chechen electionTimur Aliyev, North Caucasus - Alu Alkhanov, Chechen Interior Minister and Kremlin’s candidate for president, has no real challengers in the upcoming elections, stated Chechen political scientist Timur Muzayev.
Although a candidate’s nomination requires more than just a direct order by the Kremlin, Muzayev says: "The fact that Alkhanov is supported by the ruling group, holdovers from the late President Kadyrov's team, also played an essential role”.
The interests of the Kremlin and of the ruling group meet in the person of Alkhanov. The Kremlin wants to maintain the current state in Chechnya (neither peace, nor war), and the ruling group wishes to keep its power and strengthen its control over financial operations in Chechnya.
Muzayev thinks that Alkhanov will not be able to break the control of Kadyrov’s group. "He simply does not have the power to do it”.
As for the six other candidates in the presidential race, Muzayev said that although they are familiar to Chechens, "nevertheless, I am sure they will have no chance".
Even businessman Malik Saidullayev, who had been considered Alkhanov’s leading competitor but who was excluded from the elections due to registration irregularities, had no chance to win the elections.
"Even if the authorities had not acted improperly and Saidullayev had remained in the campaign, he would have received at most 10 or 15 percent of votes. The best he could have hoped for was second place", asserts Muzayev.
(S/E,T)
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