Chechen Most Likely To Head Chechen Militia

The name of the new head of the Chechen militia will be made public in the near future. Vladimir Vasilyev, the Deputy Minister for Internal Affairs, disclosed this in the State Duma, at a meeting of the Commission for Political Regulation and Observation of Human Rights in the Chechen Republic. Vasilyev stated that the new Chief of the Chechen Militia is to be a Chechen national. He also stated that it is planned to cut the number of check points by 10 per cent in Chechnya. Concerning the question of human rights and freedom in the republic, Vasilyev said that representatives of both a joint working group, subordinate to the Russian president, and representatives of the General Prosecutor and Chechen prosecutors are collaborating in this process. As a result of today's session the decision was taken to recommend to the leadership of operation command in the Northern Caucases, the Ministry of Defence and Interior Ministry looking into the question of changing the document-control function of the check posts in Chechnya. It is also suggested that check posts be manned by combined units of temporary (militiamen from Russian republics in Chechnya) and permanent (Chechen local) interior troops departments.