Karachay-Cherkessia

Ex-president hopes to come back to office

05.03.2005 Editor

KARACHAY-CHERKESSIA, March 4, Caucasus Times – Former president of the republic Vladimir Semienov said in an interview with the Mountains News Weekly circulating in the South Federal District, he would not mind returning to power again.

The former Commander in Chief of land forces, Gen. Vladimir Semienov had been in power since 1999 through 2003 in the republic, whose presidency was being accompanied with permanent protest rallies, pickets and political scandals.

The Federal Audit Chamber had revealed large-scale embezzlement and misuse of federal budget money during examination of financial accounts in Karachai-Cherkessia at that time. Eventually, the republic had become one of the most subsidized Russia’s provinces. Moscow’s financial help had increased up to 95,2 % by 2002.

Today Mr. Semienov believes in his second coming to presidential office. “I am a military man and if President Putin ordered me to fill the office I’d be ready to come back to do the job,” the general was quoted as saying.

Irina Miaghkova, Cherkessk, Caucasus Times

Editor

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