Chechnya’s pro-Russia leader to quit?

On Thursday, March 10 at 19:30 GMT:

Chechnya’s Kremlin-backed leader has announced he intends to step down, triggering a dramatic campaign to keep him in office. The 39-year-old Ramzan Kadyrov, who has led Chechnya since 2007, told the Russian channel NTV his “time has passed” and that “the nation needs to find a new person” once his term expires in April.

Chechens are now calling on the Chechen leader to stay in power. Many posted videos and pictures on social media begging Kadyrov not to step down. On Instagram, a Russian hashtag that translates to “Ramzan don’t go” has been used more than 8,000 times since March 1.

A group calling itself the Civic Forum of the Chechen Republic has released a statement, which was also published on the official website of the Chechen administration, saying “society sees no alternative to [Kadyrov] and there can be no talk of successors”.

Chechnya is a separate federal district in Russia. Historically, the region has been home to movements calling for independence. But Moscow has relied heavily on the Kadyrov family to crackdown on separatists and maintain control. It also provides federal funding to the region in exchange for political support for Russian President Vladimir Putin. In 2015, 83 percent of the district’s budget came from Moscow.

In many ways, Ramzan Kadyrov has been ‘Putin’s man’ in Chechnya and a major player in Russian politics. So will the Chechen leader actually step down, or is this move part of a larger strategy to gain more support from the Kremlin? We discuss at 19:30GMT.

Joining this conversation:

Tatia Lemondzhava @TataLemondzhava
Analyst, Russia & Eurasia

Fatima Tlisova @fatimatlis
Reporter, Voice of America

Usman Firzauli
Foreign minister, Independent Chechen Government in exile
chechencenter.info

How do you think Russia will respond to the Chechen leader’s plans to step down next month? Share your thoughts below.