Presidential elections are to be held in Chechnya

On Sunday, October 5, 2003, the elections of the republic's president are to be held in Chechnya. Seven candidates are running for the presidency.

As Russian Central Election Commission Chairman Aleksandr Veshnyakov told journalists on October 3, 15 representatives of a number of international organizations, including the Arab League, the Organization of the Islamic Conference, and the CIS, will observe the elections in Chechnya. Besides, as Veshnyakov added, a group of State Duma deputies, activists of some human rights organizations and over 100 journalists are going to Chechnya.

While giving comments on the refusal of the OSCE and PACE to send their observers to the Chechen elections, Mr. Veshnyakov said elections of the republic's head were not federal scale elections, therefore the decision of the OSCE and PACE was "understandable".