ALL EYES ON SPECIAL TREATY PROPOSAL

An indicator that Kremlin-watchers will be monitoring during the next few weeks: Will Kadyrov succeed in the near future in getting Vladimir Putin’s signature onto a special treaty allocating powers between Chechnya and the federal center? According to a November 17 article in Vremya novostei, the Chechen strongman has made it his goal to finalize such an agreement by the end of this calendar year–but the recent resignation of Kadyrov ally Aleksandr Voloshin as Kremlin chief of staff (see Chechnya Weekly, November 6) may delay that achievement. If the two sides meet Kadyrov’s December 31 deadline, it will be a sign that he still has substantial clout in the Putin administration despite Voloshin’s departure.