Basayev - Deputy Prime Minister and Udugov

"Terrorist number one" became first deputy prime minister
Maskhadov appointed Basayev as his deputy
On Tuesday evening, by decree of the head of Chechnya, Aslan Maskhadov, Shamil Basayev was appointed first deputy prime minister of the republic. The terrorist, who became widely known after the action in Budennovsk last summer, is entrusted with overseeing industrial issues, and in Maskhadov’s absence, he, as reported by ITAR-TASS, will act as head of government.

Maskhadov's decision to include Basayev in the government, giving him the powers of his “right hand,” did not come as a big surprise. In principle, such a development of the intra-Chechen conflict was among the realistic options. The disunity of groups in the republic constantly reminded itself of itself: Shamil Basayev, Zelimkhan Yandarbiev and Salman Raduev still retain serious influence. And Maskhadov essentially had two options: to establish a tough dictatorship and fight the clans using “non-parliamentary methods,” or to bring influential rivals into power by concluding something like an allied pact with them. For Basayev, the second method was chosen - the democratic method of pacification. It is difficult to judge how effective it will be.
Basayev demonstrated his attitude towards Maskhadov immediately after the elections. While Yandarbiev held anti-Maskhadov rallies, and Raduev threatened to continue terrorist attacks in Russian cities, Basayev created his own political party, Svoboda, promising to “correct President Maskhadov in case of attempts to deviate from the course of independence.”
Officially, Basayev is entrusted with the restoration of Chechen industry. However, as the head of the Security Council of Dagestan, Magomet Tolboev, said in a conversation with a Kommersant-Daily correspondent, “Shamil, even before the decree, was primarily in charge of the main issues of appointment in Maskhadov’s structures. I think he will continue to do this.” However, it is already known what the new Deputy Prime Minister (by the way, retains the position of commander of the sabotage and assault brigade of the armed forces of Ichkeria) will do with those left behind “Maskhadov’s structures”: “We will force those who do not respect the choice of the Chechen people to do it ".
In addition to Basayev, according to the same decree signed on Tuesday evening, Movladi Udugov (state and information policy block) and Musa Doshukaev (economic direction) became the first deputy prime ministers. Field commander Ruslan Gelayev was appointed Deputy Prime Minister for Construction. Islam Khalimov will deal with social issues. Lom-Ali Alimsultanov became Deputy Prime Minister and head of the agro-industrial complex.
There has not yet been an official reaction from the Russian authorities to the appointment of “terrorist number one” as First Deputy Prime Minister. Yesterday, only the head of the State Duma Committee on National Affairs, Vladimir Zorin, spoke unequivocally on this matter: “This appointment reflects the real balance of power in Chechnya.” The office of the representative of the Russian government in Chechnya refused to comment on Maskhadov’s decree, citing the fact that they had not seen any documents in this regard. At the same time, Deputy Representative Valentin Vlasov hastened to assure that “members of the Russian part of the joint commission will interact with the new First Deputy Prime Minister on settlement issues.” The Prosecutor General's Office also reacted to the news from Grozny: yesterday a statement from a representative of this department was distributed through news agencies. He recalled that the amnesty recently adopted by the State Duma does not apply to the terrorist Basayev and that the organizer of the events in Budennovsk is still wanted.
However, Moscow, apparently, will have to come to terms with the First Deputy Prime Minister. Basayev’s appointment should have virtually no effect on the course of Russian-Chechen negotiations and the planned signing of agreements on bilateral relations - he is called upon to solve, first of all, the internal problems of Chechnya, and the position of the first deputy prime minister is unlikely to differ from the line of the official Grozny in negotiations with Moscow .
MAXIM J-ZHUKOV

Newspaper "Kommersant" No. 44 dated 04/03/1997, p. 3