Monday, Jan. 27, 2003

Envoy Calls for Delay of Chechen Referendum

Combined Reports: President Vladimir Putin told organizers of a  constitutional referendum in Chechnya on Friday to do more to educate  voters, hours after a European human rights envoy said Russia should  put off the poll.

Putin, meeting with Central Election Commission chief Alexander Veshnyakov in the Kremlin, promised that every resident of Chechnya would be made aware of the constitution being put to a vote.

Moscow, seeking to find a way out of an impasse in more than three years of fighting, has scheduled the referendum for March 23. The constitution would entrench Chechnya's status as part of Russia.

"Our colleagues in other countries are pointing to problems -- low awareness so far of the draft constitution's provisions," Putin said in comments broadcast by Channel One television.

He said making people aware of why they were voting was "important so that all residents of Chechnya, after learning of [the constitution's] contents, will be able to make up their own minds."

He said the constitution would create "legitimate bodies. ... People will get the chance to take power in their own hands."

Earlier Friday, Lord Judd told a news conference that he would recommend that the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the continent's top human rights watchdog, ask Russia to reconsider the timing of the plebiscite.

"Unfortunately, on the basis of what I saw, I cannot conclude that the discussion of the draft constitution has been widespread enough,"  said Judd, who spent three days in Chechnya and surrounding regions earlier in the week.

"The security situation in Chechnya simply does not allow conduct of a truly wide discussion: discussions, offering proposals -- all that is necessary to conduct a successful referendum," he said.

He added that under such circumstances, a referendum could be merely a "formality" that does not offer a political solution to the ongoing Chechen conflict.

Akhmad Kadyrov, the head of the pro-Moscow Chechen administration and an enthusiastic supporter of the referendum, said Judd was mistaken.

"To draw any conclusions and give recommendations, one should live in the republic a bit longer," Kadyrov was quoted by Interfax as saying.  Had Judd spent more time in the region and talked with more Chechens, he could have offered "a more objective opinion ... about how much people are waiting for changes, a symbol of which the referendum has become," Kadyrov said.

Russia portrays the vote, a precursor to regional elections, as evidence it is pursuing a political solution to the conflict and has dismissed objections by rebel leaders, who have branded it a sham.

Judd said the draft constitution failed to consider the opinions of ordinary Chechens. Earlier in the week, he said he had read the draft in its entirety and found it interesting.

The referendum raises questions about independent monitoring after Moscow refused to extend the mandate of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe beyond the start of 2003. Judd said the Council of Europe was also unlikely to attend, even if invited.

Judd also questioned Moscow's refusal to talk to rebel leaders and said Grozny remained far from normal despite rebuilding efforts.

"Grozny is part of Europe, and we are all diminished by [the situation there]. If we have this Grozny in Europe, how can we be proud of the Europe we live in?" Judd said.

Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said over the weekend that the United States' reluctance to include Chechen rebels on its list of terrorist organizations was a double-standard policy that smacked of the Cold War.

"Despite our insistent demands, we cannot get the U.S. administration to enter the rebels who are committing crimes in the North Caucasus and in Chechnya on the list of terrorist organizations, as has been done with regards to terrorist formations in other countries," Ivanov said in an interview with TVC television Saturday night.

"This is a dangerous, double-standard policy involving stereotypes and Cold War relapses," Ivanov said.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said Thursday that the United States was working "very closely" with Russia "about the process of designating some Chechen terrorist groups as foreign terrorist organizations."

"Anyone who kills civilians for political aims is anathema to us," he said during a visit to Moscow.

(Reuters, AP)