Chechyna And The Consequences For Democracy

EDM number 381 in 1994-95, proposed by Ken Livingstone on 12/01/1995.

That this House views with grave concern the actions of President Yeltsin, in ordering military action in Chechyna and taking personal control of the general staff of the Russian Army; notes that this action was undertaken at a time when President Yeltsin faced growing unpopularity as a result of the monetarist economic programme, approved by the International Monetary Fund, which has created the world's greatest ever peacetime industrial collapse with all of the resulting consequences in terms of impoverishment, deteriorating health and civil conflicts; notes that this economic policy was rejected by the majority of voters; is concerned that, with new parliamentary elections due this year and presidential elections next year, these elections will not be allowed to take place on schedule and in conditions of fair and balanced media coverage; points out that those, like the British and United States governments, who supported President Yeltsin's unconstitutional destruction of parliament in October 1993 and his subsequent constitution which concentrates vast powers in the hands of the President must bear major responsibility for Yeltsin's authoritarianism; calls for an immediate halt to military action and a negotiated settlement in Chechyna; and further calls for parliamentary and presidential elections in Russia to take place on schedule and in conditions of respect for the democratic rights of all participants, including fair and balanced access to the media.

This motion has been signed by a total of 35 MPs.