Derev sent the hungry people home
The FSB joined the settlement in Karachay-Cherkessia
Rallies continue in Karachay-Cherkessia, whose participants demand the cancellation of the election results and the introduction of direct federal rule. Yesterday, Boris Yeltsin and Secretary of the Security Council Vladimir Putin discussed the situation in the republic. During the meeting, the president signed a decree prepared earlier by the Security Council “On additional measures to combat terrorism in the North Caucasus region of the Russian Federation.”

The situation in Karachay-Cherkessia, which worsened after the second round of elections for the head of the republic, continues to escalate, despite the peace agreements signed the day before by rivals - Army General Vladimir Semenov and the mayor of Cherkessk Stanislav Derev, and assurances from the acting plenipotentiary of the Russian President Ivan Golubev about the normalization of the situation. Yesterday, Yeltsin called on the warring parties to “remain within the framework of the law and common sense” and invited the head of the FSB to join in resolving the conflict.
Following the meeting, the president signed a decree prepared in the Security Council, which provides for measures to improve the logistics of the Ministry of Internal Affairs group and the Russian armed forces stationed in this region.
Involving the FSB in resolving the situation and signing a decree are timely measures. Because districts began to join the protests. The demands of supporters of the Circassian Derev to cancel the election results (according to preliminary data, the half-Karachai Semenov won) and to introduce federal rule in the republic were supported by several hundred Russians in the Zelenchuk and Urup regions. Republican highways are still blocked, including the largest one to Stavropol.
And although the tone of the protesters’ statements has softened somewhat, and their ranks have noticeably thinned by Wednesday, the participants in the action, according to the chairman of the International Circassian Association Boris Akbashev, will not disperse “until complete victory.” By the way, according to competent sources, an emergency meeting of the regional branch of the association was recently held in Nalchik. Its participants stated that the failure of the Tree in the elections undermined the positions of the entire Adyghe people (Circassians, the current Adygs, Abkhazians and Kabardians are related peoples) throughout the North Caucasus; It was decided to provide “ideological and material assistance” to the Circassian people.
The official election results are due to be announced tomorrow. However, as Kommersant has learned, the city election commission of Cherkessk and the election commissions of the Adyge-Khablsky and Khabezsky districts, which almost disrupted the elections last Sunday, are now quietly sabotaging the vote count - they still have not provided their data to the republican election commission.
The speech of the mayor of Cherkessk, who returned from Moscow, could at least partially ease the tension. However, contrary to the promises made to Stepashin the day before, Derev was in no hurry to send his supporters home until late in the evening. When he finally appeared on the square, he did not say a word about the peace agreements. “Our cause is just,” he said. “But if you want to eat, you can, of course, go home.” For those who are not hungry, Derev offered three options for the development of events: the cancellation of the election results, the withdrawal of Circassian territories to the Stavropol Territory and the division of the republic into two parts - Karachay and Circassian. According to the mayor, his demands are shared by many federal officials with whom he met in Moscow.
Yesterday, the headquarters of General Semenov categorically denied the information that the Karachais were conducting punitive raids on the cities and villages of the republic. According to staff member Murat Karaketov, the Circassians are blocking roads and villages, including Nogai ones. “They beat our supporters, but we endure,” another of Semenov’s assistants was indignant. “When the general left, he ordered us not to succumb to provocations. Everything rests on his authority.” Semenov himself appeared in the republic yesterday only towards nightfall. Kommersant will monitor the development of the situation.

ALLA Kommersant-Barakhova

Newspaper "Kommersant" No. 84 dated May 20, 1999, p. 3

Authors:

Alla Barakhova