GROZNY. Dec 25 (Interfax-AVN) - The first 1,000 signatures in support of a referendum on a draft of the Chechen constitution have been collected in the republic.
Khasin Taimaskhanov, the head of an advocacy group collecting signatures, told Interfax on Wednesday that the first 1,000 signatures had been collected within several days.
Taimaskhanov said he believes 6,000 signatures would be gathered by New Year's. A total of 12,000 signatures need to be collected for this purpose, he said.
No incidents have been recorded so far in the signature- collection campaign, and no threats have been leveled at the collectors, Taimaskhanov said. "However, we are taking all necessary measures to ensure their security," he said.
The campaign organizers decided not to assign armed guards to the signature collectors, Taimaskhanov said. "We believe it would be better for law enforcement agencies to establish order in populated areas and create a safe atmosphere for both the local population and the collectors than to assign armed guards," he said.
"Measures are also being taken to inform all the people in the republic about the contents of the draft constitution and the bills on presidential and parliamentary elections. Extra copies of the newspaper Vesti Respubliki (News of the Republic) with all these texts have been printed. This newspaper is circulated among the local population for free," he said.