Speaker Of Lower House Of Russia's Parliament Expresses Concern Over Position Of Ethnic Russians In Kirghizia

Gennady Seleznev, chairman of the State Duma (Lower House of Russia's Parliament) expressed concern over the position of ethnic Russians in Kirghizia speaking at the Kirghiz-Slav University in Bishkek, the capital of Kirghizia, on Thursday. In the year 2000 the number of Russians who left Kirghizia has doubled. In Seleznev's opinion, apart from economic difficulties among the causes of this growing migration are manifestations of communal nationalism and personnel discrimination." Apart from that, noted the Russian parliamentarian, "the position of the Russian community may become further complicated" if Kirghizia adopts the law on the official language, the draft of which is now examined by the national parliament. The chairman of the Russian State Duma expressed the hope that in examining the law, the Kirghiz leadership will display commonsense and not allow infringements upon the rights of its ethnic Russian citizens.