Deputy Aslakhanov: Presidential election in Chechnya must be organised by republican parliament

The presidential election in Chechnya has to be organised by the republican parliament, believes Aslanbek Aslakhanov, a deputy of the State Duma, or the lower house of the Russian parliament.

"It is necessary to elect a parliament to organise the election of the Chechen president," Aslakhanov told a Tuesday press conference at RIA Novosti. The deputy thinks the Chechen people must choose the president and the parliament must organise the election. "The president must be able to reconcile all the clans," he stressed, convinced that many militants would "co-operate with the authority chosen by the people." Other priority tasks, according to him, are to adopt a budget and form the republic's justice authorities.

While speaking about the projected amnesty, Aslakhanov said it had to cover those of the Chechens that reside abroad as well as those inside the republic.

In a first reading held on May 21, the State Duma adopted a resolution declaring an amnesty in connection with the Constitution the Chechen Republic had adopted earlier this year.

Gennady Seleznyov, the State Duma speaker, does not rule out that the final resolution dealing with the amnesty might be adopted on June 4.