Kadyrov Re-Elected in Chechnya with 99.85%

Ramzan Kadyrov, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has been re-elected to a fifth term as head of Chechnya. According to Russia’s Central Election Commission, he received 99.85% of the vote in the predominantly Muslim region in southern Russia, slightly more than the 99.73% he received in 2021.

The vote was part of Russia’s parliamentary and regional elections, a test of the country’s tightly controlled political system after four and a half years of war in Ukraine. Kremlin-backed parties and candidates dominated the elections after most anti-war candidates were barred from running.

Putin grants Kadyrov broad latitude in governing Chechnya in return for ensuring stability in the region, where an Islamist, anti-Russian insurgency raged during the 1990s. Kadyrov rose to power after his father, Akhmat, was killed in a 2004 bombing by insurgents who regarded him as a turncoat.

International observers have sharply criticized the conduct of elections in Chechnya in the past. Kadyrov rejects the criticism as Western-backed attempts to undermine his rule. He regularly emphasizes his personal loyalty to Putin and advocates a hard-line stance on Ukraine, where he says Chechen forces have been fighting since 2022.

Human rights organizations have long accused Kadyrov’s government of widespread rights violations, including against journalists and gay people. Kadyrov denies the allegations.

(Reuters, max)