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US slams Chechan presidential election as undemocratic
Washington, Oct 07: The United States today decried the weekend presidential election in Chechnya, saying the polls in the breakaway Russian republic did not meet international standards.
Washington, Oct 07: The United States today decried the weekend presidential election in Chechnya, saying the polls in the breakaway Russian republic did not meet international standards.
In comments sure to infuriate Moscow -- whose chosen candidate, Akhmad Kadyrov, won a landslide victory in yesterday's polls -- the State Department said the election "fell short" of being free and fair and that its legitimacy would likely be questioned by the Chechen people.
"Unfortunately, the presidential election that took place yesterday and the political process that led up to it fell short of its potential for producing a positive democratic outcome," spokesman Richard Boucher said. "The exit of all viable challengers to Akhmad Kadyrov's candidacy and the overt control of Chechen media by pro-Kadyrov forces prior to election day lead US to conclude that the election did not meet international standards for fair and free elections," he told reporters.
"We're disappointed by the missed opportunity," Boucher said, noting that US officials, including President George W Bush had repeatedly raised Washington's concerns about the polls with their Russian counterparts in recent weeks. Boucher stopped short of saying that the United States would not recognize the election, but noted that the Chechen people themselves would probably contest its legitimacy.
That, he said, could further complicate already difficult efforts to resolve the Chechen conflict peacefully.
Bureau Report
"Unfortunately, the presidential election that took place yesterday and the political process that led up to it fell short of its potential for producing a positive democratic outcome," spokesman Richard Boucher said. "The exit of all viable challengers to Akhmad Kadyrov's candidacy and the overt control of Chechen media by pro-Kadyrov forces prior to election day lead US to conclude that the election did not meet international standards for fair and free elections," he told reporters.
"We're disappointed by the missed opportunity," Boucher said, noting that US officials, including President George W Bush had repeatedly raised Washington's concerns about the polls with their Russian counterparts in recent weeks. Boucher stopped short of saying that the United States would not recognize the election, but noted that the Chechen people themselves would probably contest its legitimacy.
That, he said, could further complicate already difficult efforts to resolve the Chechen conflict peacefully.
Bureau Report