Kadyrov’s disease amid change of Russian Premier highlights his risks

Ramzan Kadyrov’s another temporary sick leave doesn’t threaten his political image; however, the new Russian Prime Minister may have questions for the head of Chechnya, the political analysts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" have noted.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on January 15, it became known that on January 13, Ramzan Kadyrov appointed government chairman Muslim Khuchiev the acting leader of Chechnya for the period of his temporary incapacity to work.

Alexei Malashenko, a political analyst and the head of scientific studies at the “Civilizations’ Dialogue” Institute, is sure that the information about Kadyrov’s disease will not affect his image. "Everyone can be sick sometimes; and such news has no negative effect on Kadyrov’s image. On the contrary, it somehow humanizes him, showing that he is not a monument, but a human like others," Mr Malashenko has noted.

Even now, when Kadyrov is dealing with his health, not a single decision is made without his knowledge, the political analyst believes. “He hasn’t gone anywhere. True, we don’t know how seriously he is ill, but I think that he hasn’t lost his capability,” Alexei Malashenko has concluded.

In his turn, Dmitry Oreshkin, another political analyst, has drawn attention to the coincidence of the Kadyrov’s disease with the reshuffling in the federal centre. “It seems to me that he is hardly sick; rather, he’s gone somewhere and is waiting for something. [...] I was generally confused that Kadyrov’s disease has coincided with changes in the Russian government. Kadyrov has many enemies, including strong and influential ones. If thinking seriously, the new Prime Minister Mishustin may have questions to Kadyrov," Mr Oreshkin told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent.

He has explained that the tax authorities have detailed information about the financial situation in Chechnya. "Our entire power system is so built that there are compromising materials on every official. The FSB has such materials on Kadyrov, as well as the taxation agency, which had been headed by the new Prime Minister Mishustin," Dmitry Oreshkin has noted.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on January 17, 2020 at 06:55 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.