Presidential Election in Chechnya (2003)

14 people registered to participate in the elections ^[1] , including such well-known candidates as Aslambek Aslakhanov , Malik Saydullaev ^[2] , Umar Dzhabrailov ^[2] (according to other sources, Khuseyn’s brother ^[3] took part in the elections) , Abdullah Bugaev ^[4] .

Before the election, it was widely believed that the goal of the authorities was Kadyrov’s victory. But, according to polls, 61% of respondents objected to his candidacy. On the eve of the elections in Chechnya, approximately 200 thousand persons with voting rights were registered. In addition, according to official figures, 70 (according to unofficial - twice as many) thousand military personnel of the federal forces were deployed in the republic. Concerns were expressed that this electoral resource would be used by the authorities to obtain the desired election result ^[1] .

The Supreme Court of Chechnya dismissed Malik Saydulaev from the presidential race for violations committed in collecting signatures of voters in his support ^[5] . Dzhabrailov also withdrew ^[3] . In August 2003, Aslambek Aslakhanov became an adviser to the President of Russia . According to some sources, Kadyrov’s main competitors in the struggle for a higher post in the republic dropped out of it thanks to the efforts of local and federal authorities. Therefore, the election result was predetermined in advance ^[2] .

After the elections, Akhmat Kadyrov’s victory was announced.

Most observers felt that these elections were not fair and free. Opinions were expressed that evaluated the elections not as the will of the people, but as the Kremlin’s appointment through the electoral process. It was also said that Kadyrov himself was "perceived not as the president of Chechnya, but rather as a resident of Moscow." The results of the monitoring conducted by the Moscow Helsinki Group allowed it to argue that the Central Election Commission 's reports about the high turnout were not true. Serious irregularities revealed during the election cast doubt on official results. Also, during the elections, the authorities widely used administrative resources ^[6] .

The World Socialist site called the election "a vote at gunpoint." Human rights activists called the elections illegal, contrary to Russian law and international law , expressly prohibiting the holding of voting in the territory covered by hostilities, in fact in a state of emergency . Elections in such conditions create additional legal and political obstacles to the real peace process and provoke an escalation of hostilities ^[6] .

The elections were held under unprecedented pressure from the military and civilian authorities. This was proved by the final list of candidates, from which the most serious opponents of the Kremlin elect were excluded ^[6] .

On the contrary, the observer Nikolai Kononov expressed the opinion that the election of Kadyrov put an end to the period of anarchy in the rebellious republic, and Chechnya quite consciously seeks to “live by the laws, and not by the concepts” ^[6] .

• The presidential election in Chechnya - 2003-08-28 (neopr.) . Voice of America (August 23, 2003). Date of treatment March 8, 2019.
• The election of the President of Chechnya. Review of publications on the Internet (neopr.) (September 23, 2009). Date of treatment March 8, 2019.
• A. D. Osmaev . On the political process in the Chechen Republic in 2003-2004 (neopr.) . Cyberlenink (2009). Date of treatment March 8, 2019.
• Alexander Mnatsakanyan. Chechnya 2003: political process in the Looking Glass (neopr.) . Polit.ru (May 18, 2004). Date of treatment March 8, 2019.
• Ex-Senator from Chechnya Umar Dzhabrailov was detained in Moscow after shooting at a hotel near the Kremlin (Neopr.) . newsru.com (August 30, 2017). Date of treatment March 9, 2019.