11 May 2004 01:52
Son of assassinated Chechen president given role in pro-Moscow administration
Ramzan Kadyrov, the 27-year-old son of the assassinated president of
Chechnya, was yesterday appointed first deputy head of the region's
pro-Moscow administration.
It fuelled speculation that he could be set to take on considerable power in
the conflict-torn Russian republic.
The move comes despite widespread accusations from human rights activists
that Mr Kadyrov, who formally headed his father's sec-urity service and
worked alongside Russian interior and security police, has been involved in
torture and the disappearance of many Chechens over the past few months.
His father, Akhmed Kadyrov, was killed on Sunday in a blast in the capital
Grozny, which left at least five other people dead and more than 60 wounded,
including General Valery Baranov, head of Russian troops in Chechnya.
The attack was a heavy blow to Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, who had
imposed a tough system in Chechnya of centralised, personalised rule under
Kadyrov. The death of such a powerful and domineering figure could lead to a
power vacuum at the top.
The nomination of Kadyrov's son could also provoke more criticism of
Russia's handling of the Chechnya conflict, as it places considerable
power in the hands of the de facto leader of one of the largest militias in
the republic. His nomination could trigger infighting between rival groups.
Sergei Abramov, the 32-year-old prime minister who has become temporary
Chechen president, justified promoting Kadyrov's son as a measure to
"strengthen the fight against terrorism" and the continuation of
the policies adopted by his father.
The appointment may reflect a mixture of respect for the former president and
his family, and a desire not to destabilise the situation until there is
greater certainty about a more permanent handover of power.
However, one Chechen expert yesterday argued that the nomination should not
be underestimated, coming the day after Mr Kadyrov's status was sharply
raised when Russian television broadcast extensive pictures of Mr Putin
personally receiving him in the Kremlin for talks and to offer his
condolences.
Mr Kadyrov, a thick-set and relatively inarticulate man who runs the
government-funded Ramzan Boxing Club in Gudermes, Chechnya's second
city, has raised his profile in recent months.
He met foreign journalists this year, expressing his enthusiasm for fighting
rebel leaders and denying any responsibility for human rights abuses, before
watching demonstrations of boxing and wrestling.
While some Russian politicians have called for direct presidential rule from
Moscow, officials quoted on local press agencies indicated yesterday that
elections for a new president would take place within four months, which are
likely to delay Chechen parliamentary elections. These have been repeatedly
postponed and are now scheduled for October.
As thousands attended Kadyrov's funeral in his home town of Tsentoroi,
there were condemnations of Sunday's blast from many foreign leaders,
including those of Germany, Japan, the US, the European Commission, the
United Nations and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe.
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