Week in the Caucasus: review of main events of August 23-29

Reappointment of President of Kabardino-Balkaria; reconciliation of the clans of Chechen President and the Yamadaevs; heat of pre-election situation in Dagestan; violation of refugees' rights in Georgia, - look these and other events in the review of the week of August 23-29, 2010, prepared by the "Caucasian Knot".

Medvedev offers Kanokov to continue heading the KBR

On August 23, President of Russia Dmitri Medvedev brought the candidature of the incumbent President Arsen Kanokov to the parliament of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR) for vesting him with the powers of President of the KBR for a new term. His present powers expire on September 28, 2010.

On August 16, the Party "Edinaya Rossiya" (United Russia) put, apart from Kanokov, also Alexander Merkulov, chairman of local government, and Anuar Chechenov, chairman of local parliament, on the list of candidates for the post of the leader of the region.

The local parliamentarians have not appointed the date of voting on the nominee to the post of the head of Kabardino-Balkaria offered by Russian President yet.

Experts mark that Medvedev's decision was expected; and there was no rivalry among the candidates.

Kadyrov and Yamadaev clans have reconciled

Isa Yamadaev, brother of Sulim Yamadaev, former commander of the "Vostok" (East) battalion, and of Ruslan Yamadaev, former Deputy of the State Duma, met President of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov and stated that he saw no reasons why not to establish normal relations with him.

The reconciliation took place back on August 22, when in the city of Gudermes Isa Yamadaev had a meeting with Kadyrov and confessed later that he had been misled by the forces interested in disaccord between him and President of Chechnya. It became known on Monday, August 23.

Kadyrov said that his meeting with Isa took place under the offer of respected elders, who had earlier asked him to meet the Yamadaevs in the context of the sacred Moslem month of Ramadan.

The information about the reconciliation of the two opposing clans caused bewilderment in some residents of Chechnya. Earlier Isa Yamadaev unambiguously stated the involvement of Chechen authorities and Kadyrov in murdering his brothers, Khasan T., a resident of the republic believes. In his opinion, the current reconciliation means that Yamadaev recognizes absence of power to resist Kadyrov. Some local observers are convinced that the Kremlin has reconciled Kadyrov and Yamadaev; while the reconciliation was preceded by certain agreements about mutual concessions to be made by both clans.

Isa Yamadaev has resolutely refuted these statements. He said that reconciliation with President of Chechnya was a good-will step made by Kadyrov without any preconditions.

It should be noted here that practically at the same time with the news about Kadyrov's reconciliation with Yamadaev, information appeared that the family of Sulim Yamadaev, ex-commander of the "Vostok" battalion, who was attempted on in Dubai, decided to switch him off from the equipment that supported his life; therefore, Sulim died. According to Isa Yamadaev, Sulim was buried in Dubai on August 24. On that day, in Yamadaevs' house in Gudermes, the tezet began - commemoration ceremony, which was visited on August 25 both by Ramzan Kadyrov and Deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation Adam Delimkhanov, who had been announced by the Dubai police into international search right in connection with the attempt on Sulim.

According to local observers, the presence of Kadyrov and Delimkhanov at the mourning ceremony in Yamadaevs' house means final reconciliation of the parties in conflict.

Pre-electoral shooting and fighting in Dagestan

On August 22, as a result of shelling of supporters of the candidate from the CPRF (Communist Party of the Russian Federation) in the Babayurt District of Dagestan one person was lost, two militiamen and two local residents were wounded. With a demand to punish those guilty, 200 persons blocked the "Kavkaz" Highway and unblocked it only after interference of Rizvan Kurbanov, first vice-premier of the government.

On August 23, the casualty's relatives tried to come to the building of the administration, as a result of which a fight burst out with OMON (special militia) agents.

Evicted refugees go on hunger strike in Georgia

In Tbilisi, several refugees from Abkhazia started a hunger strike near the building of the representative office of the European Commission in protest against their violent eviction from the buildings where they lived. Some of them sewed up their mouths, and one woman threatened to crucify herself near the residence of Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, if she is not left to live in the building of former hospital.

The process of evicting refugees from different administrative buildings, where they had temporarily lived, and sending them to new residences in settlements of Western Georgia, where they would not go because of absence of employment there, started in the capital of Georgia in the end of July. Refugees repeatedly held protest actions with a demand to provide them with housing in the capital, where they can earn their living.

On August 24, Georgi Tsagareishvili, a Georgian MP from the opposition sent requests to the prosecutor's office and the Ministry on Refugees' Matters and Accommodation with a demand to hold investigation and present information on how the money had been allocated on repairing dwelling houses in Potskho village, where the refugees should move.