Chechnya will continue to elect its head by popular vote

The Russian North Caucasian republics of Dagestan, Ingushetia and North Ossetia have already passed laws according to which the heads of these republics should be elected by the local legislatures. Some believe that after the recent resignation of the head of Kabardino-Balkaria, Arsen Kanokov, that republic may make a similar move.

At the same time, the speaker of the Chechen Parliament, Dukuvakha Abdurakhmanov, says Chechnya will never follow in the steps of the republics which abandoned the popular voting system.

This is the position of the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, the speaker explained. The Chechen leader wants to know whether the Chechen people support him or not,  Abdurakhmanov says.