|
Human rights activist wants Chechen elections delayed
December 7, 1996
Web posted at: 3:50 p.m. EST (2050 GMT)MOSCOW (CNN) -- Russia's leading human rights campaigner, Sergei Kovalyov, proposed Saturday that elections planned in the breakaway republic of Chechnya should be postponed. He cited concern over a lack of preparation.
The secretary of Russia's influential Security Council, Ivan Rybkin, who is also President Boris Yeltsin's personal envoy to Chechnya, insisted the presidential and parliamentary polls slated for January 27 remained on track.
Kovalyov told NTV commercial television he is worried that about 400,000 refugees will be denied the right to vote under present conditions. He also expressed concern over talk in Chechnya of fielding a single presidential candidate to avoid splitting the separatist movement.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Related stories:
- New Russian security chief meets Chechen rebels - October 27, 1996
- Chechen separatists move from war to politics - October 19, 1996
Related sites:
Note: Pages will open in a new browser windowExternal sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.
Tell us what you think!
You said it...
© 1996 Cable News Network, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.