SC of Dagestan: Derbent Mayor to be elected in October

Today the Supreme Court of Dagestan rejected the petition lodged by candidates for Mayor of Derbent Elkhan Kazimov, Salikh Ramazanov and voter Shakhban Gapizov to appoint the election on March 14, 2010.

Mr Gapizov was present at the sitting, while the interests of the candidates were represented by proxies Muradkhan Rabadanov and Omar Omarov. The respondents were Benyamin Shartilov, Chairman of the Territorial Electoral Commission (TEC) of Derbent, Kismatullah Alimagomedov, a member of Central Electoral Commission (CEC) of Dagestan, and a representative of the Derbent City Assembly.

Mr Shartilov has stated that the law clearly says that the repeated election should be appointed not later than within a year after appearance of the grounds for that, while the particular date is defined by the TIC, which found it reasonable to hold the election in October, as they will not cope with all the preparation before March. He was supported by Alimagomedov, while the representative of the City Assembly kept mostly silent.

Shakhban Gapizov was very active. Despite numerous requests of the judge not to distract from the topic, he said that the election of the Mayor of Derbent on October 11, 2009, passed with rough violations of the law. "You perfectly know what sort of orgy took place in Derbent: shooting, OMON, wounded people. 15 OMON fighters were in fact disguised militants. a chairman of a precinct commission was beaten, put into luggage compartment and brought to the city administration," Gapizov said.

The Judge of the Supreme Court of Dagestan Khanmagomed Shikhgereev, having listened to the opinion of all parties, decided that the election may be held in October 2010.

Making comments on the decision of the judge, Rabadanov, Omarov and Gapizov told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that they plan to address the Supreme Court of Russia. Gapizov emphasized that the incumbent Mayor of Derbent Felix Kaziahmedov is inactive, sits on hands.

"Derbent is in legal vacuum. The illegitimate Mayor Felix Kaziahmedov is disorganizing everything and everyone. For 4 months already the city has no heating and water, for more than three months teachers and doctors receive no salaries, people are suffering. The city needs an active leader; therefore, we addressed the Supreme Court asking to accelerate the election of the city head, but the SC rejected our reasons and arguments. We have reliable information that the judges were pressed by President of Dagestan Mukhu Aliev," Gapizov has stated.

In its turn, the administration of Derbent stated that the source of the "Caucasian Knot" was not adequate.

Isamudin Ramazanov, a first aid doctor, said that in the locality where he lives people get salary in time, they have water and heating. "There were some problems with gas supply; they appeared two days ago; however, half of the city receives gas," he said.