GROZNY. Aug 30 (Interfax-AVN) - Chechen president-elect Alu Alkhanov said the strategy behind the fight against illegal armed units in Chechnya will not change substantially change under his leadership.
"It is well adjusted. It has proven its worth, and we will not abandon it," Alkhanov told a Monday news conference at the office of Nurenergo company in Grozny.
There might be some tactical changes, depending on the situation, he said.
"I have never said that negotiations with Aslan Maskhadov are necessary. I have always said that Maskhadov has only one chance - to apologize to the people whom he plunged into war and face a court," Alkhanov said.
"Maskhadov could have prevented the consequences of the war, but he did nothing to avoid the tragedy," he said.
"No matter who speaks to him or holds any negotiations, my position is unaltered - he must leave alone the people who voted for the Chechen Republic within the Russian Federation in the referendum," Alkhanov said.
The people of Chechnya want peace and are not asking for terrorist acts, he said.
"Why is he doing all of this? His only goal is to continue the annihilation of the people," Alkhanov said.
"Being loyal to the policy of the late president Akhmad Kadyrov, I will do my best to return young members of the illegal armed units, who have been deceived but have not committed grave crimes, to normal life," he said.
"This practice has proven to be correct. Kadyrov saved hundreds of lives and prevented tragedies in hundreds and thousands of families. I think it was a correct policy when young people, recruited into illegal armed units by deception, were given a chance to improve and live a normal life," he said.