Change of Argun Mayor raises townspeople's questions to Kadyrov

The appointment of the 28-year-old Khas-Magomed Kadyrov as Mayor of Argun has continued the practice of appointing relatives of the head of Chechnya to senior positions without taking into account their managerial experience, local residents said.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on July 26, the post of Mayor of Argun was taken by Khas-Magomed Kadyrov, 28, a close Ramzan Kadyrov's relative.

This appointment was preceded by other appointments of Ramzan Kadyrov's relatives to senior positions, as noted by an activist of a Chechen NGO, who told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent: "Kadyrov's cousin has recently become the first deputy head of the administration of the republic's head and government ... Now, another relative will manage a large city. In this way, Ramzan is simply strengthening his own 'vertical' of power."

While heading the Grozny branch of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), Khas-Magomed Kadyrov had done nothing prominent, Lechi, a local resident, has noted. "Now, he'll try to manage a large city. He has neither economic experience nor serious knowledge in this area. However, this does not prevent Kadyrov's relatives from making their careers," Lechi told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Strengthening one's power through involvement of relatives is characteristic of Chechen traditions, said Mikhail Roschin, a senior researcher at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences. "There are only six cities in Chechnya, three of which are headed by Kadyrov's relatives. In general, in Chechnya, a Mayor is a weighty position. This indicates the strengthening of power by family members, which is typical of Chechnya," Mr Roschin told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on July 28, 2019 at 05:23 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.