GROZNY, February 21 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's presidential envoy in the southern district said Wednesday he would submit three candidates for the post of Chechen president to Vladimir Putin.
Putin accepted last week the resignation of Alu Alkhanov, ex-president of the troubled North Caucasus republic whose term was to expire in 2008, appointing him as deputy justice minister in the central government. The move is widely seen as designed to clear the way to the presidency for the ex-prime minister and acting president, Ramzan Kadyrov.
Dmitry Kozak told reporters the nominees were Kadyrov, the leader of the regional branch of A Just Russia party, Muslim Khuchiyev, and the head of the Grozny District, Shaid Dzhamaldayev.
Kadyrov, the son of the late President Akhmad Kadyrov, who had been in charge of his father's security and was popular among the Chechens, was unable to take up the post after his father's assassination in May 2004 as he was not 30 at the time, the condition for presidential candidates set by the Chechen Constitution.
Alkhanov filled the position in the August 2004 election in which he was the only candidate backed by the Kremlin.
Ramzan was appointed first deputy prime minister and promoted to the post of advisor to Putin's envoy in the Southern Federal District several months later. In November 2005, Kadyrov Jr. became acting prime minister and later prime minister of his home republic. In October, he turned 30. After Alkhanov's resignation, he was appointed acting president of Chechnya.
Russian troops have fought two wars against separatists in Chechnya since 1994. Moscow has declared an end to the active phase of the campaign and significantly scaled down its military presence in Chechnya, but fighting and terrorist attacks still occur there occasionally spilling over to neighboring regions.
Former militants, the Kadyrovs had switched sides helping federal troops crush insurgency. Kadyrov still has a private army, which helps maintain order but has also been accused of kidnappings and other crimes by human rights groups.
