22:52, 17 March 2007

They plan to alter the Chechen constitution by the end of 2007

Today, Ismail Baikhanov, chairman of the Chechen Republic's Central Electoral Commission (CEC), has informed that the referendum on making changes in the constitution of Chechnya is planned to be held before next October.

In his interview to the "Interfax" Agency Mr. Baikhanov has reported that the referendum bill drafted by the CEC back last July has been sent to the parliament of Chechnya. "Thus, by the end of April, we hope to have a document regulating the referendum procedure," he noted.

At the same time, the NEWSru Agency has informed that Dukuvakha Abdurakhmanov, speaker of the National Assembly (i.e., the parliament) of Chechnya, has assured that "the political will to hold the referendum is present," and the task now is to properly prepare it.

Amendments may touch 14 articles of the Chechen constitution. The chapter on presidential election will be cancelled. It is also planned to change the parliament's structure. It may become a single-chamber one. Mr. Abdurakhmanov thinks that it would be reasonable to considerably reduce the number of deputies.