By RIA Novosti,
Grozny : Residents of the Russian North Caucasus Republic of Chechnya voted Sunday in an early parliamentary poll to elect a one-chamber legislative body, the republic’s central election commission said.
Early elections to the Chechen parliament were called after Chechen MPs voted for their self-dissolution on June 27, 2008. The previous Chechen parliament was elected in 2005. It consisted of two chambers and included 58 deputies.
Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov said the elections would be held as planned despite an earthquake that hit the North Caucasus republic on Saturday.
The earthquake measuring about 5.6 points on the Richter scale struck Chechnya Saturday afternoon, killing at least 12 people and injuring more than 100, Russia’s emergencies ministry said.
The quake’s effects were felt in five other Russian North Caucasus republics, and also in neighboring South Ossetia and Georgia.
October 12 has been announced a day of regional and municipal elections in Russia.
Elections to regional legislatures are being held in five Russian regions – the North Caucasus republic of Chechnya, the Kemerovo Region in southwest Siberia, the Trans-Baikal Territory and the Irkutsk Region in southeast Siberia, and the Sakhalin Region in the Far East.
Also, mayoral elections are being held in several Russian cities.