Journalists call Muftiate a mainstay of "People Against Corruption" Party in Dagestan

The list of members of the "People Against Corruption" Party in Dagestan suggests that it is supported primarily by religious figures and resources of the Muftiate. This opinion was voiced by journalists interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot". The "People Against Corruption" Party has not yet started to take part in the election campaign, and the regional branch of the Party denies any connections with the Muftiate.

In Dagestan, the preparation for the elections to the Parliament and the State Duma is being held amid the growing dissent. The people's distrust of the Dagestani authorities results in the nomination of religious figures for the elections. They use the "People Against Corruption" Party as a springboard for the elections. This was stated on May 7 by participants of the project "Games of Journalists".

Despite the fact that the connection between Dagestani religious figures represented by the Muftiate and members of the "People Against Corruption" Party is not confirmed officially, such connection actually exists, believes Magomed Magomedov, an observer of the weekly newspaper "Chernovik" (Draft).

Magomed Magomedov has mentioned as an example a number of members of the Party, directly related to official religious figures of Dagestan. Meanwhile, according to Magomed Magomedov, the "People Against Corruption" Party emphasizes its secular status by the fact that it admits members from influential young activists, intellectuals, and people professing other religions.

According to Ramazan Radjabov, a political observer of the weekly newspaper "Novoe Delo", the Muftiate and in general the people professing the Sufi concept of Islam "observe strict hierarchy and veneration of a spiritual mentor, and their ideological opponents often blame them of the above fact."

The "People Against Corruption" Party itself deny any connections with the Muftiate and refer to the fact that "there are a lot of influential people of different professions" among its members. This was noted by Magomedrasul Omarov.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.