Seven presidential candidates registered in Chechnya

Chechnya's electoral commission has completed registration of candidates for president of the republic, the election scheduled for August 29. The following nominees have passed the registration procedure successfully: Alu Alkhanov, Chechnya's Minister of Internal Affairs; Umar Abuev, Director General of the Chechenneftekhimprom ("Chechnya's Petrochemical Industry") federal unitary enterprise; Magomed Aidamirov, Director General of NEDR LLC; Mukhumd-Khasan Asakov, chief specialist, administrative affairs for the State Council of Chechnya; Abdula Bugaev, director of the Goriacheistochnenskaia office of the Modern Humanities Academy, a nonprofit educational establishment; Vakha Visaev, adviser to the president of Chechnya; and Movsur Khamidov, a department chief from Chechnya's Federal Security Service Administration.

Malik Saidullaev, a well-known businessman from Moscow, was on July 22 denied registration as candidate for president of Chechnya. "Saidullaev mentioned incorrect passport data and the wrong information about some private individuals that had deposited money in his election fund," an electoral commission worker says.

Malik Saidullaev's supporters believe what happened a conscious provocation to disqualify from the election the only possible rival for the Kremlin's favorite, Alu Alkhanov. "Malik is blamed for the passport service having indicated his birthplace incorrectly," Saidullaev's representative, Aslambek, says. "Both last year (in the presidential election when late Akhmat Kadyrov was announced winner) and now, Malik Saidullaev is disqualified for just one reason: he is the only possible rival for Moscow's proteges. For some reason, the electoral commission did not pay any attention, for example, to the fact that Alkhanov's passport reads Ali, not Alu." The interlocutor says Malik Saidullaev's lawyers will lodge an appeal to court as soon as possible and they will seek to have the decision of Chechnya's electoral commission canceled. "The lawyers are already preparing relevant documents," the source says.