An initiative by Mekhk-Khel leader Sarazhdin Sultygov and Chechen Parliament Speaker Magomed Daudov to hold a meeting to discuss disputed borders between Ingushetia and Chechnya will not find support among Ingush, public activists polled by Fortanga said.
Sultygov and Daudov plan to hold the meeting after the month of Ramadan. On April 27 a meeting of the Council of Teips of the Republic of Ingushetia was held on this occasion. Already after the meeting, the Chairman of the Council Murad Daskiev told Fortanga that they did not authorize anyone for this meeting.
«We’ve summoned them (the Chechen side — editor’s note) before, but neither Daudov nor anyone else from them decides anything, except Ramzan Kadyrov (head of Chechnya) himself, so there’s no use talking to them,» commented Daskiyev.
According to Khamzat Buzurtanov, a member of the Teyp Council, the proposed meeting has no significance whatsoever.
«If Daudov is the speaker of the Chechen parliament, he should not record video messages, but officially send a letter to Ingushetia,» Buzurtanov pointed out.
The lawyer and social activist Magomed Bekov commented on the suggestion of dialogue from Magomed Daudov on his Facebook page.
«I personally have not delegated Sarajudin Sultygov and Musa Albogachiev to express my opinion on this issue, as I do not agree that the named individuals should speak on behalf of the Ingush people, especially on such an important issue for us with a party that has repeatedly expressed its opinion that the border issue is closed. Of course, privately Sarazhudin and Musa have the right to meet anyone they like, on their own behalf and on behalf of their public organization «Mekhk Khel» which they represent, and to express their opinion on this or that issue,» the letter says Bekov’spost.
According to him, it is wrong to conduct a dialogue on borders while the Ingush protesters are in custody. «They are individuals delegated by the people to speak on behalf of the people,» Bekov said. He also pointed out the unequal nature of the meeting, believing that the Ingush side could have been represented by the Speaker of the Ingush Parliament.
In a comment to Fortanga, Bekov said the meeting seemed unproductive to him.
«There is no point in communicating with them because they have already expressed their opinion on the borders when the Constitutional Court of Russia decided that the law approving the agreement [changing the borders of the two republics] does not contradict the Constitution. Daudov said at the time that no discussion on the issue was acceptable because it was the end of the matter. I don’t see any point in public figures meeting either with the people, the congress or the Teyp Council, let alone any part of society. It would be extremely unproductive to meet with representatives of the authorities of the Chechen Republic at all, and representatives of the authorities must meet with the representatives of the authorities. If there is a subject for discussion for the public from both sides, then with the involvement of specialists, with the conclusions of historians, cartographers,» Bekov said.
According to him, «it was repeatedly said from the Chechen side that this issue is closed. «What’s the point of sitting at the same table with them?» he concluded.
A spokeswoman for Ingushetia’s head, Zalina Barkinhoeva, told Fortanga that the republic’s government was not aware of the conversation between Sultygov and Daudov. However, she noted that such events should be the responsibility of the Ministry of National Policy of Ingushetia. However, the ministry could not be reached for comment on this matter.
Representatives of the Council of the Teips of Ingushetia said that their decision on the proposed meeting would be made public shortly. As of April 28, 16:30, no video of the April 27 meeting has been published on the organization’s Youtube channel.
