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Russia: EU Issues Cautious Assessment Of Chechen Elections
By Ahto Lobjakas
Brussels, 6 October 2003 (RFE/RL) -- The European Commission says it doubts yesterday's presidential elections in Chechnya were "free or fair."
The Kremlin-appointed head of the Chechen administration, Akhmed-hadki Kadyrov, was today officially declared the winner of the elections with about 80 percent of the vote. His main rivals were either disqualified or withdrew from the race before the poll.
Diego de Ojeda, spokesman for Chris Patten, the EU's external affairs commissioner, said despite the dubious circumstances surrounding the poll, the EU supports any moves aimed at restoring peace in the breakaway republic. "It is clear that the situation on the ground is extremely complex and difficult, and it casts doubt [on] the possibility of conducting free and fair elections according to international standards," he said. "Nevertheless, what is most important to us is that these elections somehow gain respectability or credibility -- or legitimacy, more accurately -- within the Chechen population."
While international nongovernmental organizations have largely condemned the elections, major Western governments have been cautious about criticizing the vote. There were no EU observers present for the elections, as both the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and the Council of Europe declined to send monitoring missions.
De Ojeda said the EU "shares" a number of concerns expressed by many NGOs -- such as the continued use of military checkpoints and the fact that many Chechens outside the republic were not allowed to vote while many Russian soldiers inside the republic were.
But the spokesman said the EU sees the elections as an internal Russian matter, and supports all "genuine" efforts by Moscow to end its four-year war in the republic -- as long as they have the support of the majority of the Chechen population.
"Since these are internal elections, we look at the whole issue in Chechnya from a wider perspective, and that is [that] we would like to support any genuine efforts to solve the conflict in Chechnya. The [constitutional] referendum earlier in the year, [and] now the elections, are steps that the Russian leadership have declared are aimed toward a definitive settlement of the conflict in Chechnya. What we would like to underline is the need for the majority of the Chechen population to agree and subscribe to this process. And in that sense we welcome any steps taken by the Russian leadership and the Chechen leadership to gather a consensus among the majority of the Chechen population," de Ojeda said.
De Ojeda said the success of the election will ultimately be measured by its contribution to the process of "finding a [political] consensus that attracts the majority of the Chechen population." Such a consensus, he said, would be the decisive factor in ending the conflict.
The spokesman said the EU has no independent view on the legitimacy of Akhmed-hadji Kadyrov as president of Chechnya, noting the EU does not pass judgment on the outcomes of Russia's internal elections.
© 1995-2003 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc., All Rights Reserved. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Comment: Despite all the evidence still these people (EU, OSCE, CoE) continue to have simply and only <<doubts>>!?! And for how long will they continue to consider the murder, raping and looting of thousands of innocent civilians as an "internal Russian matter"? And apparently Mr. Ojeda contradicts himself when on one side he casts doubts on the elections as "free or fair" and then declares "the need for the majority of the Chechen population to agree and subscribe to **THIS** process". What Mr. Ojeda is asking for is a consensus for terror. M.M. ----------------------------------------------------------------------
US says Chechen election fall short, missed chance WASHINGTON, Oct 6 (Reuters) - The United States on Monday described the presidential election in Chechnya as a missed opportunity because it was not free and fair enough to help bring peace to the troubled territory of southern Russia.
"Unfortunately the presidential election and the political process that led up to it fell short of the potential for producing a positive democratic outcome," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher told a daily briefing.
"The election did not meet international standards for fair and free elections. We are disappointed by this missed opportunity. It is unclear whether the election will have sufficient credibility and legitimacy in the eyes of the people of Chechnya to advance the settlement process," he added.
A former Muslim cleric backed by the Kremlin coasted to a sweeping win in the election on Sunday, although many commentators doubt the result will halt a bloody separatist guerrilla campaign. -------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2003/24958.htm Richard Boucher, Spokesman ............................................... QUESTION: What's U.S. Administration reaction to the elections in Chechnya? And I'm wondering whether you're going to call on Moscow to hold talks with Aslan Maskhadov. MR. BOUCHER: Okay. Let me do the reaction to the election. The United States has long urged a political settlement to the tragic conflict in Chechnya. When the constitutional referendum was held in March, we believe that the referendum and the autumn Chechnya elections could be useful steps toward such a political settlement. Unfortunately, the presidential election that took place yesterday and the political process that led up to it fell short of the potential for producing a positive democratic outcome. The exit of all viable challengers to Akmad Kadyrov's candidacy and the overt control of Chechen media by pro-Kadyrov forces prior to election day lead us to conclude that the election did not meet international standards for fair and free elections. We're disappointed by this missed opportunity. President Bush raised his concern about the Chechnya elections in his Camp David meetings with President Putin about ten days ago. Given these problems, it's unclear whether the election will have sufficient credibility and legitimacy in the eyes of the people of Chechnya to advance the settlement process. Nevertheless, we continue to hope that the people of Chechnya and their leaders at all levels, working with Russian officials, will find ways to end terrorism and human rights abuses, punish those who have committed such abuses, resolve the conflict and establish a more normal life based on democratic principles. On this. QUESTION: Have you made clear these -- your rather harsh comments about this election -- have you made them in person or by phone to Russian officials, or are they hearing them for the first time here, right now? I know that there have been public comments before the election -- MR. BOUCHER: Yeah. I'll have to double-check and see what contacts there have been. I'm sorry. I have to check. QUESTION: Because, as you know, some rather mild comments by Assistant Secretary Pifer -- or Deputy Assistant Secretary Pifer up on the Hill about two or three weeks ago raised a real firestorm in Moscow. Are you prepared for the -- for their reaction? MR. BOUCHER: Yes. Teri. QUESTION: -- my question is, have there been any meetings or phone calls, except -- you said Secretary Powell's on the phone with Ivanov now, or was when you -- MR. BOUCHER: Yeah, I don't know if they're talking about Chechnya. They certainly have an abundance of things to talk about, with regard to the Iraq resolution, with regard to working together in the Middle East, so I'm not quite sure if this subject will be raised in that channel or not. QUESTION: So this isn't a priority for him? MR. BOUCHER: No, it's a serious priority. It's a view that we have. It's a view that we make and put to the Russians. I'm just not sure it's an issue that we can work today. Sir. QUESTION: (Inaudible.) MR. BOUCHER: Without going into individuals, I would say that we have said, as I have said today, that the people of Chechnya, on both sides, needs to work with the Russians to resolve this conflict peacefully and politically, because that's the only way a satisfactory solution will be found. We've long said there's no military answer to this problem. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Comment: Washington had at least a bit more courage than the EU. However they have nothing to be "disappointed for missed opportunities". It was clear from the outset that they were backing a "political process" that is a farce, and they were perfectly aware of this. |