Kremlin Takes Good Care of Ex-Heads of North Caucasus Republics

Paul Goble

            Staunton, July 13 – The Kremlin ensures that most heads of the North Caucasus republics after retirement or resignation regardless of the reason they left their position, Maaz Bilalov says, with most of them, like Yunus-Bek Yevkurov of Ingushetia who just become a deputy defense minister getting new jobs in federal structures.

            Yevkurov’s predecessor, Murad Zyazikov, became an advisor to the Rusisan Federation and then was named deputy presidential plenipotentiary to the Central Federal District, the Kavkazr journalist says. Most other North Caucasian leaders upon leaving office have done as well (kavkazr.com/a/30047280.html).    

            Doku Zavgayev, who headed the Chechen-Ingush ASSR until 1991 and then the provisional administration of the Chechen Republic during the first Russian campaign (1995-1996), was dispatched as Russian ambassador to Tanzania. Then he was brought back to Moscow as deputy foreign minister before being sent out as ambassador to Slovenia.

            Alu Alkanov, former Chechen president from October 2004 to February 2007, was named deputy justice minister of the Russian Federation.

            The first two heads of Daghestan did not do as well: Both Magomedali Magomedov and Mukhu Aliyev went on pensions. But the first was quite old and the second had seriously offended Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov by criticizing his position on the Daghestani-Azerbaijani border.

            Magomedov’s son, after serving as head of the region between 2010 and 2013, was given the position of deputy head of the Russian Presidential Administration.  Ramazan Abdulatipov, his successor who had already served as Russian ambassador to Tajikistan and minister for nationality affairs, after retirement was named special representative for relations with Caspian littoral states and then special representative to the OIC.

            Aleksandr Dzasokhov, after serving in North Ossetia, became ambassador to Syria and then senator from that republic before retirement.  KBR head Yury Kokov became deputy secretary of the Russian Security Council. And former KBR president Arsen Kanokov became a senator.

            KChR head Boris Ebzeyev initially did not find a place, but four years after resigning, he was included in Russia’s Central Electoral Commission.

            Such solicitude by Moscow to former heads of the North Caucasus republics helps maintain the loyalty not only of them but of those now serving there.