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TITLE: Democracy Triumphs in Cherkessk |
AUTHOR: Yuri Akbashev |
PUB: IWPR |
DATE: Febraury 28, 2001 |
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The president of Karachaevo-Cherkessia has suffered a series of humiliating setbacks in local elections, which saw government-sponsored candidates roundly defeated by rank outsiders. The surprise results could indicate that local support for General Vladimir Semenov's regime is waning -- even in the ranks of his own Karachai clan, which currently dominates the corridors of power. Worse still, one of the general's own candidates, who has publicly accused his erstwhile sponsor of waging an illegal election campaign, is set to drag his case through local courts, causing the Cherkessk government further embarrassment. General Semenov devoted considerable efforts to manoeuvring his own candidates into three key posts - rector of the state university, mayor of Cherkessk and deputy to the State Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament. He was frustrated at every turn. At the university elections, the predominantly Karachai academic board voted overwhelmingly in favour of the economist Burkhan Tambiev while the president's candidate, Baidymat Urusova, had to be content with second place. The people's choice for mayor of Cherkessk was equally disappointing. Vladimir Kosenkov, the government candidate, failed to fill the post vacated by the general's arch enemy, Stanislav Derev, a figurehead of the Cherkess minority. Semenov's hopes of controlling this key political position were dashed. But, most galling of all was the electoral defeat of Vasily Neshchadimov, the former premier of Karachaevo-Cherkessia, in the race for a seat on the State Duma. Again, this election had a symbolic significance for Semenov since the former deputy - billionaire tycoon Boris Berezovsky - had actively supported Derev's cause. In the event, the election was won by Magomet Tekeev, editor of Gorskie Vedomosti ("Mountain News"), who beat Neshchadimov by just 2,000 votes. General Semenov could barely disguise his astonishment. The Cherkessk regime had poured considerable resources into the pre-electoral campaigns and dozens of state officials were charged with whipping up popular support. When rival candidates complained that the use of bureaucratic muscle was illegal, the state functionaries promptly informed the electoral commission that they were on holiday at the time and were banging the electoral drum in an unofficial capacity. Opposition candidates also objected to the fact that Semenov seized every opportunity to be seen in the company of Kosenkov and Neshchadimov at public functions. However the presidential press service was quick to counter, "It's Kosenkov and Neshchadimov who are at pains to be seen with the president - and he is unable to rebuff them because Caucasian etiquette prohibits such behaviour." The president also put state radio, TV and newspapers at the disposal of his candidates whose lifetime achievements became the subject of daily articles, broadcasts and documentaries. A record one million roubles (more than $35,000) was poured into the election campaigns - a phenomenal sum for a notoriously impoverished republic. The secretary of the Cherkessk Communist Party, Yuri Laskov, described the situation as "the struggle of ordinary voters against the power of the authorities". In the end, however, democracy triumphed and government brow-beating failed to win the day. But, while Kosenkov took his defeat philosophically, Neshchadimov took his case to court. He demanded that the election results be declared null and void, pointing to his own government-sponsored campaign as evidence of illegal electioneering. Then he published a series of articles in the local press in which he claimed, "The incompetence of the authorities has plunged Karachaevo-Cherkessia into deep economic crisis and ethnic conflict. Russians living in the republic are the victims of widespread discrimination - a fact that was brought home by my meetings with local voters." In preliminary hearings, Neshchadimov told a Cherkessk court that he had been betrayed by General Semenov. On the eve of the elections, he said, the government electioneers switched sides and began supporting Tekeev. These "agents" visited three regions - the Karachaevsky, the Malokarachaevsky and the Ust-Dzhegutinsky -- as well as the town of Karachaevsk where Tekeev won by a wide margin. "It was here that his victory was sealed," said Neshchadimov. The case has yet to be resolved but it seems unlikely the court will find in Neshchadimov's favour, especially as he no longer enjoys the patronage of General Semenov's inner circle. END |