14 June 2004 15:24
Prominent Chechen laments poor quality of presidential hopefuls
[Presenter] A new stage in the Chechen [presidential] election race began today. The republic's Electoral
Commission has begun registration of documents from candidates to the post of president. Eight people have expressed
their intention to stand in the election.
Shamil Beno, a member of the Foundation for Support of Democracy and Social Progress, still cannot understand the
position of the federal centre on the Chechen elections. None of the candidates proposed by the authorities can resolve
the concrete task of the republic's restoration. Shamil Beno told our radio station that he has his own candidate
for the post of head of Chechnya.
[Beno] It seems unlikely that the federal centre wants to resolve the problems facing my people. I would have
understood had they nominated someone like [head of the Unified Energy System of Russia and former leader of the liberal
Union of Right Forces party Anatoliy] Chubays. Well, many may agree or disagree with his policy but he is an excellent
and brilliant manager who knows how to achieve his goals.
And from this point of view I can say that, as an analyst, I can see no real indication to be able to say that indeed
the federal centre now wants to solve the Chechen problem.
[Presenter] Let me remind you that the Chechen elections are scheduled for 29 August.
[Note: Shamil Beno was "foreign minister" in the Chechen government of Dzhokhar Dudayev; he subsequently
switched sides and has served in Akhmat Kadyrov's entourage]
[Ekho Moskvy radio] |
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