It would be a great exaggeration to say that the Western democracies are positively yelling with indignation about the war in Chechnya. Western governments, proud of their traditions of democracy and tolerance, look on rather indifferently at the destruction of the Chechen people by the Russian army. However, public opinion in these countries is not managed with such ease as ours is, and signs of its awakening are visible. Which brings us to those worthless campaigns: the referendum and the presidential elections. Now done, the Kremlin can say: “Look – the Chechen people has accepted a new constitution and elected itself its own president”. And this will in turn be echoed by our public figures, leaders of controlled parties, the “royal court” human rights activists, and other Kremlin henchmen. The majority of people will have insufficient time to examine the legality of these elections and matters of procedure; as what election passes without disputes or even scandals?


Who can prove that Kadyrov’s 80-plus percent of votes at 80% voter turnout is an obvious lie and absolute nonsense? Nobody will prove anything, for the elections were carried out under the barrel of a gun and the supervision of the obedient justice and electoral commissions.


Decades of socialist melancholy emanate from this farce. 99 % turnout, 98 % “yes”: as if all this had been forgotten, and again it comes knocking on our door. Yes, it is not just knocking, but has already entered! And who thirty years ago could prove that Soviet elections were nothing more than a bluff?


Today's Kremlin “dummy“ will have a short life. It is silly, worthless and dishonest as was Soviet propaganda. This lies can stand only supported by violence: the political reprisals, the closed courts, gulag-style ruthlessness. In Chechnya much of this already exists and, perhaps, it is worse than during Soviet times. And now it is Russia’s turn. Or the Kremlin will return the country to socialism, or its propaganda invention will burst like a soap bubble.
And yet Kadyrov speaks what’s on Kremlin’s mind. He, certainly, will try to govern with an iron hand in the Chechen Republic, introduce a dictatorial kind of order, but as long as there is armed resistance, establishing this will hardly be easy.


Putin, Kadyrov and all their company probably dreamt that the Mudjahedin would try to break up the elections: thus indicating the resistance recognized the seriousness of the elections. Clearly this has not happened. The resistance does not waste its “talents” on such trifling matters and does not take the Kremlin game seriously. The farcical election was played by the one side, showing once again the cheapness of the plan and the wretchedness of its presentation.


What does the West see behind these elections? Will it accept the Kremlin game as it once accepted those movements, “inspired” by Moscow, for peace, general disarmament and other propaganda campaigns? Or, having felt the gradual revival of the “Evil Empire”, will it fence itself off from the Kremlin lie if not from fastidiousness, then from fear for its own safety?


We shall soon know; as soon as “President” Kadyrov is accepted abroad at an official level or is rejected.