President Putin issues decree on Chechnya referendum

President Putin has signed a decree approving the regulations for holding a referendum in the Chechen Republic on the draft constitution of the Chechen Republic, and on the draft laws of the Chechen Republic "On Election of the President of the Chechen Republic" and "On Elections to the Parliament of the Chechen Republic." Below is the full text of the document, which RIA Novosti received on Thursday from the press service of the head of state.

"With the aim of exercising the constitutional right of the citizens of the Russian Federation, living in the Chechen Republic, to participate in the referendum and in connection with the address of the Election Commission of the Chechen Republic, which has accepted for consideration the application from the initiative group on holding a referendum on Chechnya's draft Constitution, and on the draft laws of the Chechen Republic On Election of the President and On Elections to the Parliament of the Chechen Republic, which was set up in accordance with the Federal Law of June 12, 2002, No. 67-03 On Basic Guarantees of the Election Rights and the Right to Participation in the Referendum of the Citizens of the Russian Federation," and guided by Article 80 (part 2) of the Constitution of the Russian Federation and Article 11 (point 5) of the above-mentioned Federal Law, I resolve:

1. To approve the enclosed Regulations for the holding of the referendum in the Chechen Republic on the Constitution of the Chechen Republic and on the draft laws of the Chechen Republic On Election of the President of the Chechen Republic and On Elections to the Parliament of the Chechen Republic.

2. The administration of the Chechen republic shall, within one month, work out financial, material, technological and organisational measures to ensuring the holding of the referendum in the Chechen Republic on the draft Constitution of the Chechen Republic and the draft laws of the Chechen Republic On Election of the President on the Chechen Republic and On Elections to the Parliament of the Chechen Republic and shall coordinate them with the Government of the Russian Federation.

3. To address a proposal to the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation to render a necessary legal, methodological and organisational assistance to the Election Commission of the Chechen Republic in holding the referendum in Chechnya.