In Karachaevo-Circassia, NGO leaders are concerned about situation in Abazin villages

Living standards in Abazin villages of Karachaevo-Circassia is extremely low, leaders of the Abazin public movements assert. The main reason of the situation is in disregarding the legislation on national minorities' rights.

"There's legislation in place on defence of the rights of indigenous nations. There's also the Federal Law of April 30, 1999, 'On Guarantees of Rights of Aboriginal and Indigenous Nations of Russia', there's also a law in our Republic. On the basis of these laws, a complex targeted programme should be adopted for the Abazins who live in Karachaevo-Circassia. The above legislation should start working as soon as possible; this is our main task," Timur Gotov, deputy chair of the "Abaza" Public Movement, said in his conversation with the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

He has also noted that his Movement is going to address on this issue to the Public Reception Office of the Chairman of Russian Government Vladimir Putin.

Answering the question on what had prevented to enforce the law during so many years, Mr Gotov has assumed that just nobody was eager to work with this law.

"The power in the Republic was criminalized to the limit, all the financial and budgetary funds were plundered, and there was just nobody to deal with the issue. And until now, the power has not changed yet, there's no new government; and it keeps us in suspended condition," said the deputy chair of the "Abaza".

"Our villages are in the worst economic condition in the Republic; and this is the main problem," Timur Gotov believes. "No investments have ever been made in any Abazin village. So far, most of them have no water or gas supplies. Nothing was ever invested into capital construction of these villages or into social sphere."

We remind you that according to the latest all-Russian census held in 2002, the population of Abazins in Karachaevo-Circassia made 32,346 persons, or 7.3 percent of the total Republic's population.