CIS representatives are to watch Chechnya's presidential election

Representatives from the CIS will be part of a group of international observers watching the holding of the presidential election in the Chechen Republic on October 5, Alexander Veshnyakov, Chairman of Russia's Central Election Commission, said in an interview. The group of observers from the CIS, which will be made up of up to 10 people, will be headed by Yury Yarov, Executive Secretary of the Commonwealth.

"An initiative also came from a number of public and human rights organizations, who cooperate with the Russian president's Human Rights Commission," the CEC chairman reported. These organizations were willing to delegate another group of up to 10 people to Chechnya to watch the election, he explained. Veshnyakov also reminded of the State Duma's decision to send a group of observers to the Chechen Republic.

Official invitations to watch the Chechen elections had been sent out to a number of international organizations, the CEC chairman went on. "The Council of Europe, the Arab League and the Organization of the Islamic Conference have not replied so far," he added. Meanwhile, the OSCE Bureau for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights reported it "had no opportunities" to send observers to the republic.