CHRONICLES
Izvestia, July 16, 2003, p. 3 EV
President Putin considers it necessary for the government’s drafts on social and labor relations to undergo the examination by the trilateral commission for resolving social and labor relations. “The legislative base of social and labor relations is formed and the commission has something to work on,” the president said at a meeting with the Cabinet on Tuesday. Moreover, he stressed that the practice of the Cabinet making decisions concerning social and labor relations without consulting the commission was not appropriate.
FEW LINES
Parlamentskaya Gazeta, July 16, 2003, EV
President Vladimir Putin discussed next year’s federal budget yesterday with Economic Development and Trade Minister Herman Gref. Putin stressed that this work should have been carried on together with deputies of the Duma and members of the Federation Council. Gref told the president that there was an agreement to repeat the practice of the last year, when all the factions of the Duma and profile committees of the Federation Council had participated in forming of the budget in this stage.
KADYROV PAUSES
Nezavisimaya Gazeta, July 16, 2003, EV
The elections of Chechen president will be financed from the federal budget and will cost 57.1 million rubles. The elections campaign started a week ago, but, however, only one person stated about its intention to struggle for the post of the head of the republic. It is Said-Hamzat Gayrbekov, a representative of Chechen diaspora of Astrakhan. Ahmad Kadyrov hasn’t nominated himself for election yet. According to him, he should consult with his brothers-in-arms.
Ella Pamfilova, chairwoman of the presidential human rights commission, stated that Chechen ex-president Aslan Maskhadov could participate in the elections. However, Sergei Yastrzhembsky, an assistant of the president, voiced the opinion of the Kremlin. “Maskhadov can’t count on the amnesty, because he is accused of such articles of the Criminal Code, which don’t come under the amnesty. So he can’t take part in the election,” he said. However, such a step will be ideal for the federal government and Kadyrov: in case of the victory of the latter, ex-president of Chechnya would lose the right to speak on behalf of Chechen people. However, Moscow bewares of even a minimal risk.
By the way, Ella Pamfilova doubts whether all the inhabitants of the tent towns in Ingushetiya will come back to their motherland. “It is impossible,” she said. It looks as if Kadyrov deceived Putin when he said housing for refugees is ready and the refugees are prepared to return. The point is that there are not many people who want to return to Chechnya. Those who decided to take this step do it under trict pressure from the authorities.
