Caharkala/Agency Caucasus – Russia’s puppet administration of Chechnya revised its constitution in a referendum held in parallel with December 2 elections of Duma.
The constitution first took effect in March 2003 when the then administration was guided by the Kremlin to hold a ‘bogus’ referendum.
Today’s administration, led by Ramzan Kadyrov, made over 50 changes to the constitution.
The changes, once put in effect, will allow both the president and parliament deputies five-year terms of office, will convert the parliament into a single-wing organization while it is currently double-wing, and will reduce the number of deputies to 41 from 61. The changes will start to affect the parliamentary structure in the 2009 elections.
Blinding turnout!
The referendum results have the same effect as the frightening results of the Duma elections that became a subject of ridicule soon after it was claimed that the elections attracted a 100 percent turnout from the North Caucasians. According to the Chechen Committee of Elections, Kadyrov’s call for participation in the referendum on constitutional amendment attracted a record turnout of 96,88 percent. Independent Chechen observers argue, however, that the turnout for both the elections and the referendum can range from eight to 10 percent. KU/ÖZ/FT
