The Hindu : International : Chechnya elects President

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Aug 30, 2004

International

International

Chechnya elects President

By Vladimir Radyuhin

MOSCOW, AUG. 29. Chechnya went to the polls on Sunday to elect a President in what is the second attempt by Moscow in the past 11 months to hand over authority in the violence-torn region from the Russian military to Chechens.

Underscoring the explosive situation in Chechnya, a man blew himself up near a polling station in the capital Grozny today after security guards stopped him for a check. The man ran off and was killed when the device he was carrying exploded, an official said. No one else was hurt and no other incidents were reported as security was tightened across the region.

Chechnya's previous Kremlin-backed leader, Akhmad Kadyrov, was killed by a bomb during V-day celebrations in Grozny in May, barely seven months after he was elected President. In the current election, Moscow has backed Chechnya's police chief, Maj. Gen. Alu Alkhanov, who is the unquestionable favourite among the seven candidates for President.

The turnout was heavy, with close to 50 per cent of Chechnya's 587,000 registered voters casting their ballots by 4 p.m., four hours before the polling stations closed.

The election is valid if 30 per cent vote. Many Chechens hope the election will help end violence that continues to plague the region and pave the way to economic revival in the war-ruined area.

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