Russian Co-chairman quits Duma-PACE Committee on Chechnya

Duma Deputy Dmitrii Rogozin (People's Deputy) announced on 31 January his resignation as co-chairman of the Russian State Duma-Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) working group on Chechnya, Russian news agencies reported. Rogozin had said the previous day that Lord Frank Judd's resignation as PACE rapporteur for Chechnya and co-chairman of the group could lead to the group's collapse (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 31 January 2003). But Mikhail Margelov, who is Russian PACE deputy chairman, said the same day that Rogozin's resignation does not signal the end of cooperation between the Duma and the PACE on Chechnya, Interfax reported. LF
CHECHEN ADMINISTRATION HEAD MEETS WITH PREDECESSOR

Akhmed-hadji Kadyrov met in Moscow on 2 February with Doku Zavgaev to discuss the situation in Chechnya, including the planned 23 March referendum on a new constitution and election legislation, ITAR-TASS reported. Zavgaev, who served as pro-Moscow Chechen prime minister from October 1995 to late 1996, is currently Russian ambassador to Tanzania. Zavgaev said he has no intention of running for president in Chechnya and that he would endorse Kadyrov's candidacy. LF