Cherkessians hope for support of compatriots from Turkey after lifting
of the visa regime
Last week the terrible murder of Karachay-Cherkessian president Fral
Shebzukhov stunned the whole of the North Caucasus. The elderly man
was shot trying to escape being beaten with sticks.
No one in Karachay-Cherkessia doubts that this public outrage was
political. “I am shocked. I am confident that this was not a common
murder. It is not a business-related murder, I know that he does not
have any such business. Coming up with theories is the work of
investigators. As for me personally, I am sure it is a political
case”, Karachay-Cherkessian President Boris Ebzeyev said.
Shebzukhov was one of the main candidates for the post of Premier,
which became vacant after the visit of the presidential envoy to the
North Caucasus Federal District (NCFD) Alexander Khloponin, who
demanded the authorities appoint a Cherkessian as head of the Cabinet.
(VK has provided a detailed description). The
post was to be filled before May 1st. Ebzeyev tried to carry out the
instruction by dismissing the former government and introducing the
candidature, with deputies voting on the decision. According to APN,
the deputies had firm intentions to avoid any first candidate “to show
the president that he is nothing to them”.
Whether this is true or not, the fact that there has been no Premier
appointed in Karachay-Cherkessia so far illustrates the disagreements
within the republic’s political elite, and it does not have to be just
a national matter. It suggests that the candidate for Premier may be
looked for externally. “The parliament cannot come to an agreement on
any candidate backed by the local elite. In this case, the best option
would be a man from the outside”, deputy Ahmad Ebzeyev said. He
believes that a leading employee in Vnesheconombank, Alexey Kindarov,
would be the right man. He has no links with the local elites and he
meets the requirements for Premier – professional education, working
experience (he headed the Ministry of the Economy in the republic) and
he is a Cherkessian.
Among the assassin’s paymasters, some point out the opposition of
Ebzeyev supporting the “old regime”, others point out the supporters
of a more powerful figure willing to head the Cabinet. According to
‘Vremia Novostey’, Shebzukhov was not a Cherkessian political leader,
but on the contrary, a loyal functionary, like Premier Kemov.
Politically active Adygei people see the death of Shebzukhov as
another act of aggression against their ethnic group.
The Cherkess civic organization ‘Adige Khase’ attributes the murder of
Shebzukhov to interethnic conflict of young people, last year’s
blocking of Viacheslav Derev’s candidature for Karachay-Cherkessian
senator , and the murder in March of their activist Aslan Zhukov, who
was not just a social activist but also a well-known sportsmen (in
ultimate fighting) and also head of a family business. Cherkessians
see links between the mountain pastures of Kabardino-Balkaria, attacks
on Cherkess leaders in Nalchik and the issue of “clarifying the
borders between the NCFD and the Southern Federal District (SFD) to
prevent new obstacles in Cherkess unity”.
This fairly diplomatic assertion dangerously resonates with comments
on Shebzukhov’s murder on Adygeis’ forums, e.g. :
“When will Cherkessians abroad finally take off their rose-colored
spectacles? When our brother people are being killed one by one from
the corner!?”;
“Activists among Cherkessians should be more cautious… It is time to
restore the tradition of weapons-bearing. Let the contractor be
surprised at least once”;
“No one cares about Cherkessians, except for Cherkessians themselves.
People are doing everything to have anyone who raises his head and
becomes a little stronger booted back to the ground. We’re getting
killed on the streets and no one gives a damn”;
“One thing is comforting – that visas will be lifted soon. Turkish
Cherkessians will be able to come if the situation gets out of
control”. (The agreement on lifting the visa regime was signed within
the framework of Dmitry Medvedev’s visit to Turkey. “It will ease life
for millions of people”, the Russian president said).
What raises hopes is that, despite the hostile statements, there are
also quite constructive ones:
“Among our own people there are representatives who wanted to ‘get
Fral out of the way’. There is no need to blame the whole nation for
the murder, it only complicates the situation”;
“There are specific criminals. Karachays and Cherkessians must find
the jackal’s rabble together, otherwise the jackals will consume
everyone. If we look back, we will see that the killing spree started
with the murders of Karachays”;
“This is above all a challenge to Ebzeyev. He is the president,
Shebzukhov was his advisor. The murder of a Cherkess official will
make a lot more noise than the murder of a Karachay official, taking
into account inter-ethnic relations in the Karachay-Cherkessian
republic”.
Yekaterina Tesemnikova exclusively for VK
