As soon as the emotions and doubts about the results of the election of deputies to the Russian State Duma (the lowest chamber of the parliament) abated, a new disaster fell on the electors. Permanent, as it seemed, President Yeltsin, dried his stingy official tears and announced his early resignation on the eve of the New Year.
Correspondingly, there will be the elections of a new president in Russia in the spring. The key candidate, directly named by former President Yeltsin as his "successor" -- Vladimir Putin -- is a man of the Federal Security Service (the former KGB, if you have forgotten). He is the lieutenant colonel; he is one of the initiators, and, judging from his speeches, one of the inspirers of the "second Chechen war."
Russian electors who became tired of being afraid of omnipresent contract murderers, racketeers, and street hooligans and who had an unreal dream of "tasty sausages for only 2.20 rubles," stood rigid obsequiously waiting for a "strong arm." The liberal intelligentsia became worried: a portion of intelligentsia faithfully attended meetings to put forward Putin as a presidential candidate while its remaining portion began to think, gloomily and indefinitely, about the approaching authoritarianism.
And it is not surprising: Chechya is being ironed by combat bombers and tactical missiles; the press is being criticized and frightened by ministers and deputy ministers on a daily basis; all television channels, in eager rivalry, are inflating the rating of Putin; and again there emerged the prisoners of conscience in Russia….
Against this gloomy background, only an incorrigible optimist can expect honest competitive elections. But let us leave the analytical process to political observers. Let us turn to stubborn facts. How is the preparation for the most wonderful presidential elections being held?
"A Dark Night. Only Bullets Zip Across the Steppe…"
Judging from everything, the Russian authorities are firmly intending
to hold the elections of the president of the Russian Federation on 26
March on … the territory of inflamed and rebelling Chechnya.
And what does the "organization of the election" imply in war conditions? A portion of the Republic is under the administration of the Russian Armed Forces and the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (not the civic administration of what they are trying to convince us); a portion of the territory is under control of the units of Chechen separatists; the greatest portion of rayons are subject to constant bombing and firing and the fighting is going on there; thousands of refugees are rushing around the Republic in a search of a shelter. But the Russian Federal troops do not let independent journalists and observers to enter the greatest portion of the Chechnya territory.
As the Russkiy DEADLINE Agency reported on 9 January 2000, the Central Electoral Commission (TsIK) issued a statement: "It is necessary to create all conditions to hold the Russian presidential elections in Chechnya on 26 March simultaneously with the elections of a State Duma deputy in a one-seat constituency No. 31." This was said by TsIK Chairman Aleksandr Veshnyakov, please, pay attention, after he met with Acting Russian President Vladimir Putin. At the meeting with Putin, according to the chairman of the electoral commission, "a general conclusion was made -- on 26 March, it is necessary to create all conditions for the citizens of the Russian Federation who live on the territory of the Chechen Republic for their participation in the presidential election."
So why are the Kremlin officials so concerned about the problem of elections in Chechnya? I hope that their close attention to this issue was dictated by their warmest feelings. They care for one of the basic rights of the citizens which is guaranteed by the Constitution. Perhaps they as well as I are afraid of the falsification of the results of the election.
"Cruel Atamans,
Polish landowners,
Still remember the 1918…"
Why could there be the falsification? There are short memoirs from
not so distant past: personal pilot of Boleslaw Berut (a leader of Polish
communists who was trained in Moscow during the Second World War to administer
Poland) told about a peculiar electoral technology which was applied by
the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs [NKVD] in this country.
Poland was liberated from the German occupation; there was the economic
disorganization; there were Soviet military commandant's offices, patrols,
and blocking posts. The mean Englishmen insisted on holding the democratic
elections. And they even sent several observers to some big Polish cities
-- who would object it? You are welcome! As it should be, after the election,
the ballot papers were packed in bags, were sealed and were delivered to
the Central Electoral Commission in Warsaw by planes. Of course, the ballot
papers were delivered by the Russian military aircraft, it is clear, because
Poland had no its own aircraft after the war. Soviet comrades also helped
print ballot papers -- of course, how could there be any proper printing
equipment in the devastated country? So, the planes flew in a hurry, because
it was necessary to calculate the votes. But the aircraft should be refueled,
right! And they landed on an intermediate airfield and refueled the tanks
on their way to the capital. And precisely there the bags with ballot papers
were replaced by the other bags. By the similarly sealed bags. And they,
hard working pilots, continued their flight and carried the "will of the
Polish people." Well, quite naturally, the ballot papers were calculated
and of course, the leftist forces won. And the order began to reign post-war
Poland.
So I think that not only I, the parvenu, know this story. Our authorities in Russia are also concerned. About the holding of the election in Chechnya without such tricks. And again -- very serious people are preparing this will of the people!
"Hello, My Murka,
Hello, My Dear!"
According to a report by the "Echo of Moscow" Radio, it became known
in early January that "an initiative group was set up Chechnya to put forward
Vladimir Putin for the upcoming Russian presidential elections."
Shamil Burayev, the head of the Achkhoy-Martanovskiy Rayon Administration in Chechnya, told an ITAR-TASS correspondent about this. According to him, Beslan Gantamirov bears a personal relation to this initiative.
I will remind you that Gantamirov was a combat ally of the first Chechen president, General Dzhokhar Dudayev. When Dudayev was in a heap of trouble, Beslan Gantamirov moved to his opposition and emerged in the camp of the federal troops. For this deed, the Russian authorities later made him the mayor of Groznyy and gave him access to the money for the restoration of Chechnya. Naturally, Gantamirov … lost this money or there was something like that. And the Moscow court sentenced him to five years in prison with the confiscation of property. Our former President Yeltsin remembered about this valuable officer when the time came to show the entire world that the Chechens are tired of living under the yoke of their own authorities and united under the banner of Kremlin. In late 1999, Yeltsin granted pardon to Gantamirov by his personal edict and sent him to Chechnya. In his native Republic, Gantamirov who had not fully spend his term in prison assembled, so to say, his relatives and the people who were close to him spiritually. Excuse me, this unit was armed at the expense of the Russian electors. And later they were assigned to the staff of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs. In a word, they became the policemen. But this should not scare our electors: according to Captain Yermak Spatayev, former criminals serve heroically in the Russian units in Chechnya. And so what, they have not killed or robbed anyone. Naturally, the Chechen mountaineers do not count.
By the way, Interfax Agency recently reported that former mayor of Groznyy could be recommended for the title of the Hero of Russia. The sources in the close entourage of Gantamirov said that all appropriate critical documents have been drafted.
Yes, of course, it would be a strong exaggeration to say that only such heroic heroes, like Beslan Gantamirov, prepare the election of Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich.
"But Our Muses, Our Muses Were Not Silent!"
And Mark Zakharov, the chief producer of the Lenin Komsomol Theater,
a famous producer of popular plays "Star and Death of Khoakin Muryete,"
"Yunona i Avos;" and of the cult movies "That Very Munkhauzen," "Dragon,"
and "Love Formula" said with a disarming simplicity in January to the viewers
of the NTV Channel that he had received a telephone call and was asked
directly:
-- Mark Anatolyevich, will you object if Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich
is put forward as the Russian presidential candidate?
And Mark Anatolyevich did not object. Then he was asked to take part
in the election meeting. And Mikhail Boyarskiy, the famous D'Artanyan of
the Russian movies; and Konstantin Raykin, a famous "Truffaldino From Bergamo;"
and almost unreachable producer of the Taganka Theater Yuriy Petrovich
Lyubimov were also invited there.
And all of them came up. Of course, they also brought the television cameramen. In a word, "the finale was the apotheosis." The curtain, please!
"But the Order Is the Order,
A Frontier Guard Remains in the Ranks"
Russian elections have no reasons to be worried. Because it is the
leadership who worry about the elections. Shortly before the parliamentary
elections, it was also Putin (the then prime minister) who held a telephone
conference with the Russian governors addressing the payment of wages to
budget-sector workers. And a governor suddenly said: "I think that the
electoral bloc of government forces, our dear "Medved," will collect in
the oblast entrusted to me no fewer than …."
And Vladimir Shenderovich, the host of the "Itogo" popular television
program, said fairly that no one pulled him up -- "What are you doing?
We are discussing the payments to budget-sector employees, here are the
television cameras!" Vladimir Putin only smiled happily….
"So, Let Us Drink To Our Unification!"
And what remains to do in such a situation? The conclusion is clear.
There will be the elections in March. Honest and competitive. On the occasion
of what I congratulate all electors in general and each elector in particular.
One should not wait so long for the results.