Alu Alkhanov

Alu Alkhanov Алу Алханов


2nd President of the Chechen Republic
In office August 30, 2004 – February 15, 2007
Preceded by	Akhmad Abdulkhamidovich Kadyrov
Succeeded by	Ramzan Kadyrov
Personal details
Born	(1957-01-20) January 20, 1957 Taldykorgan Province, Kazakh SSR, USSR
Political party	Non-Partisan
Spouse(s)	Private
Children	3
Profession	Politician
Religion	Sunni Islam
Awards	Order of Merit for the Fatherland

Alu Dadashevich Alkhanov (born January 20, 1957) is a Russian politician, the former president of Russia's Chechen Republic.

Alkhanov is a career police officer who fought within the ranks of the Russian Armed Forces during the First Chechen War. He was elected president on August 30, 2004, under controversial circumstances. On February 15, 2007, Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed Alkhanov as the Chechen President and appointed him a Deputy Justice Minister of Russia.

Biography

Born in Taldykorgan Province, Kazakhstan, Alkhanov joined the Soviet Armed Forces on leaving school. He joined the Soviet Militsiya service in 1983, graduating from the transport police school in Mogilev (now Mahilyow in Belarus). He went onto the High Police School in Rostov-on-Don before becoming Deputy Head of the North Caucasus Transport Department of the former Chechen-Ingushetia government in Grozny in 1992. He was later promoted to head the department, a post which he held until 1997.

When the First Chechen War broke out in 1994, Alkhanov supported the Russian side against the separatists. He was decorated with the Order of Courage for his actions during the separatists' assault on Grozny in 1996. In April 2003, he was appointed Interior Minister of Chechnya in the government of Akhmad Kadyrov and was made a Major General of the Chechen police. When Kadyrov was assassinated on May 9, 2004, Akhnanov became the favoured candidate of the Russian government.

On June 1, 2006, Alkhanov said he would prefer his republic be governed by Sharia law and suggested adapting the Islamic code.

He is widely seen to be conflicted with Ramzan Kadyrov, a former rebel fighter and Chechen Republic's Prime Minister with presidential ambitions. Kadyrov eventually replaced Alkhanov as President in February 2007, following by placing his own people in all the leading positions.

Alu Alkhanov is married, with three children.

Election controversy

Alu Alkhanov's election in August 2004 was controversial from the outset. The election of his predecessor had been marred by allegations of ballot stuffing, voter intimidation by Russian soldiers and the exclusion of possible separatist candidates. As a career bureaucrat, Alkhanov had no obvious popular base and was seen by many observers as the placeman of the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Critics of Russian policy in Chechnya claimed that the government would not permit Alkhanov to be defeated, and that the outcome of the vote had been predetermined well in advance.

Alkhanov faced seven challengers. The most serious of these, Malik Saidullayev, a Moscow-based Chechen businessman, was barred from standing on the technicality of failing to fill his application correctly. The other six challengers had little recognition within Chechnya and several had ties with the government. They were:

Abdula Bugayev, an historian and director of the Chechen branch of the Modern Humanities Academy. He finished a distant second to Kadyrov in 2003 with 5.7% of the votes.
Movsar Khamidov, a colonel in the Chechen department of the Federal Security Service (FSB), the successor to the KGB.
Vakha Visayev, an economist and an adviser to the acting Chechnya president, Sergey Abramov.
Mukhmud-Khasan Asakov, a staff member of the Chechen State Council.
Magomed Aidamirov, a businessman from the village of Tolstoy-Yurt.
Umar Abuyev, director-general of the Chechen Petrochemical Company.

Alkhanov's platform was effectively a continuation of his predecessor's policies, with Chechnya continuing to remain part of Russia; economic autonomy; attracting aid and investment; cutting unemployment and the Russian military presence; and opening peace talks with separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov.

In the event, Alkhanov won by a landslide majority with 73.67% of the votes on an 85.25% turnout. Khamidov was second, with 8.95 percent, and Abdula Bugayev came third, with 4.5%. Visayev was fourth, Abuyev fifth, Asakov sixth and Aidamarov seventh, gaining between 0.6% to 4.3% of the vote. 1% of voters voted "against all candidates".

The results of the election were regarded with scepticism by some outside observers and the Chechen opposition. The U.S. Department of State, and International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights questioned the fairness of the elections and highlighting the disqualification of Saidullayev. The elections was internationally monitored by the monitors from CIS and LAS; western monitors didn't participate in the monitoring of the elections despite being invited. Polling conditions have been questioned; Khamidov has said that his campaign staff had recorded numerous irregulaties and will contest the vote results in court.

Honours and awards

Order of Merit for the Fatherland, 4th class (15 February 2007) - for outstanding contribution to the socio-economic development of the strengthening of Russian statehood and constitutional order
Order of Courage
Order of Honour (12 October 2011) - for labour achievements and many years of diligent work
Medal For Courage
Medal "For Distinction in the Protection of Public Order"
Gratitude of the President of the Russian Federation
Diploma of the Government of the Russian Federation (20 January 2007) - for his great personal contribution to the recovery of the economy and social sphere of the Chechen Republic

External links

The increasingly deadly struggle for power between Kadyrov and Alkhanov Jamestown Foundation September 28, 2006
Mosnews coverage of election win
Q&A: The Chechen election (BBC News, 27 August 2004)
Press Round-up of election (The Guardian, 1 September 2004)
- Includes editorial quotes from Washington Post, Moscow Times, Pravda and more.

Political offices
Preceded by Akhmad Kadyrov	President of the Chechen Republic 2005-2007	Succeeded by Ramzan Kadyrov

Chechen–Russian conflict

Key events	Conflict	Federalists	Separatists	Mujahideen

Wars First Chechen War War of Dagestan Second Chechen War War in Ingushetia First Chechen War (1994–96) 1994 Grozny battle 1994 Khankala battle 1994–95 Grozny battle 1996 Shatoy ambush 1996 Grozny battle 1996 Khasavyurt accord Second Chechen War (1999–2009) 1999 Chechnya bombing 1999–2000 Grozny battle 2000 Height 776 battle 2000 Komsomolskoye battle 2000 Zhani ambush 2002 Khankala Mi-26 crash 2004 Nazran raid 2004 Grozny raid 2005 Nalchik raid Counter-insurgency operations Guerrilla phase Insurgency (2009–present) Insurgency in the North Caucasus	Major attacks 1995 Budyonnovsk hostage crisis 1996 Black Sea hostage crisis 1996 Kizlyar hostage crisis 1999 Apartment bombings 2002 Moscow hostage crisis 2002 Grozny truck bombing 2004 Aircraft bombings 2004 Beslan school siege Related topics Censorship of Chechnya coverage Crimes and terrorism Mass graves Suicide attacks Assassinations Casualties (Second Chechen War) Aircraft losses International response Politics of Chechnya Chechenpress Kavkaz Center In culture Alexandra Angel of Grozny Ant in a Glass Jar Polina Zherebtsova's Journal The 3 Rooms of Melancholia The Pathologies The Search War	Combatants Russian Federation Armed Forces Ground Forces Ministry of Internal Affairs OMON ODON Internal Troops Federal Security Service Main Intelligence Directorate Special Forces (Spetsnaz) Republic of Chechnya Militia (Kadyrovtsy) Leaders Russian Federation Boris Yeltsin Dmitry Medvedev Vladimir Putin Chechnya † Akhmad Kadyrov Alu Alkhanov Ramzan Kadyrov † Dzhabrail Yamadayev † Ruslan Yamadayev † Sulim Yamadayev	Combatants Ichkeria Caucasian Front Leaders † Dzhokhar Dudayev † Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev † Aslan Maskhadov † Abdul-Halim Sadulayev † Ruslan Gelayev † Shamil Basayev † Arbi Barayev † Salman Raduyev Akhmed Zakayev † Turpal-Ali Atgeriyev † Vakha Arsanov Ilyas Akhmadov † Movsar Barayev † Muslim Atayev † Rasul Makasharipov † Ilias Gorchkhanov † Rappani Khalilov	Combatants Caucasus Emirate Arab Mujahideen Islamic International Brigade Riyad-us Saliheen Wilayah al-Qawqaz Leaders † Magomed Suleimanov † Aliaskhab Kebekov † Dokka Umarov Aslambek Vadalov (POW) Ali Taziev † Anzor Astemirov † Supyan Abdullayev Aslan Byutukayev Movladi Udugov † Khuseyn Gakayev Tarkhan Gaziyev † Said Buryatsky † Magomed Vagabov Rustam Asildarov † Asker Dzhappuyev † Arthur Getagazhev † Ibn al-Khattab † Abu al-Walid † Abu Hafs al-Urduni † Muhannad † Abdulla Kurd

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Alu Alkhanov

Biography

Election controversy

Honours and awards

See also

External links