14 June 2004, 20:59
Chechen public figures want to see Saidullaev
Representatives of Chechen nongovernmental organizations would like to meet with Malik Saidullaev, a candidate for president of the republic and a well-known Moscow businessman. The idea to hold that meeting belongs to Aslambek Apaev, leader of the Nokhcho public movement. His initiative has won support of a number of nongovernmental associations, according to Apaev. "I have talked to leaders of a number of public and human rights organizations and I can say that over twenty people have supported my initiative. We would like to discuss with Saidullaev the actual state of affairs in Chechnya and the situation that is taking shape in light of the upcoming presidential election in August," Aslambek Apaev said in an interview to Caucasian Knot's correspondent.
Like many citizens of Chechnya, he is convinced that Malik Saidullaev had realistic chances to win even in the first round in the presidential election last year. That time, there was a court decision at the very last moment that disqualified him as candidate on the ground that some of the lists with voters' signatures in support of him allegedly proved to be forged. "What is most important presently, to my mind, is to prevent a repetition of last year's scenario," Apaev believes. "The upcoming election must be clean and honest. And public organizations can play not the last role in this."
There is information Aslambek Apaev worked with Malik Saidullaev's election headquarters for a while during the presidential election in Chechnya in 2003.
Author: Sultan Abubakarov, CK correspondent
