| Elections in Chechnya
are illegitimate To: Mr. Josep Borrell Fontelles, President of European Parliament Mr. Peter Schieder, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Mr. Solomon Passi, OSCE Chairman-In-Office STATEMENT ON ANOTHER ROUND OF ILLEGITIMATE ELECTIONS IN Chechnya Russian government rejected the right of the Chechen people for self- determination and for the government formed as a result of democratic elections of 1997, and has been trying to impose undemocratic system in Chechnya for over five years. It is impossible to build a democracy by using military methods and by destroying the previously- created democratic structures. In Chechnya Russia is vesting militarized criminal structures with authority; these structures have unlimited power based on arbitrariness and crimes. Constitutional referendum on March 23, 2003, and presidential elections on October 5, 2003, organized by Russia's occupational force, were illegitimate and were an example of evident falsifications and violence. At this moment any elections in Chechnya are impossible. President Maskhadov and Parliament of Chechnya are remaining as the only legitimate government under these circumstances. Presidential elections in Chechnya on August 28, 2004 and subsequent parliamentary elections are illegitimate for the following reasons: 1. At least 80,000 Russian soldiers are present in the country. 2. Martial law has been imposed all across the country. 3. Russian military death squads and local punitive units are operating in Chechnya. 4. People's travel across the country is impeded and dangerous due to functioning checkpoints and because of mines. 5. No right to live is guaranteed; atmosphere of fear is dominating. 6. Any free mass media are absent. 7. No independent journalists or observers are allowed in Chechnya. 8. Prospective 'president' has already been appointed by Moscow, and the elections will only be imitating people's will, like it used to be during the Stalin regime. Article 1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (adopted 12-16-1966) reads: «All peoples have the right of self- determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development». We recognize it and we respect it, and therefore we are addressing to you with the proposal to exert influence on Russia because the regulations of this Pact have been violated. The forthcoming elections in Chechnya and the results preplanned by the Kremlin must not be recognized due to the fact that they contradict the norms of the international law and the principles of free democratic elections. Recognition of the elections would have justified the crimes against humanity that have been committed and that are still being committed. Negotiations with the government under A. Maskhadov is the only legitimate way to solve the Chechen problem. On behalf of parliamentary support group «For Human Rights in Chechnya» Andres Herkel, Member of the Estonian Parliament (Riigikogu) Algirdas Endriukaitis, Secretary General of International Group of Parliamentarians on the Problem of Chechnya Linnart Mall, Chairman of Tartu Center of Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) Tapani Mattila, Vice-Chairman of Finland-Chechnya Society Department of Correspondence, Kavkaz-Center 2004-08-28 18:48:31 |