Kim's a better girlfriend than Deepika - Yuvraj Singh - Page 8

Originally posted by: beboholic

I don't understand when members on here say Deepika is too good looking for Ranbir and Ranveer and pretty much any one she dates. Deepika is no Miss World..she ain't that pretty/HOT.

And why would she date Ian? Ian is dating a prettier and hotter girl than Deepika. Nina Dobrev. Okay they broke up..but still. Nina >>>>>> Deepika

Originally posted by: .DejaVu

Like you are comparing Nina and Deepika,and find Nina hot,others find Deepika hot and better looking. We all compare and have our own choices.

Tanya Lokshina, Moscow Helsinki Group

On 17 September, in Grozny, I visited the main election headquarters of Malik Saidullaev, the former presidential candidate. All of a sudden I came across two people I knew from Moscow, a journalist and a PR-consultant. Both of them had joined the Grozny headquarters to work on Malik's campaign.

But there was ill-luck " the decision of the Supreme Court of the Chechen Republic from 11 September suspended Saidullaev's campaign which had officially started just on the 5th of the month and never really got a chance to fully develop. By the moment we met, it had already been a week since both Muscovites and all the local staff officers were stuck in a limbo and waiting for the changes to come. But at that time there was still a glimmer of inexplicable hope in the headquarters as well as in Chechnya in general for the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation which was in process of reviewing Saidullaev's appeal. A hope that the Russian Supreme Court would prove to be more independent and less politicized than the Chechen one. As to any outside observer, particularly, a guest from the capital, the idea seemed pretty illusory to me, to put it mildly. In addition to other factors, there was, after all, a clear sign "from the above" to be taken into account: on the same ill-starred day of September 11, the Acting President of Chechnya Akhmat Kadyrov received the highest audience of Vladimir Putin. So, everything looked rather set... But it is natural for people living in the epicenter of events to hope for a miracle; otherwise there is no way to survive. In order to kill the time in this general expectation of the miracle, my acquaintances taught basic computer skills to their mates in the headquarters and, with no opportunity to deliver election propaganda, they were carrying out the program-minimum: a PR-campaign. Namely, they were promoting the "Vozvraschenie" ("Coming Back") Fund, timely and appropriate founded by Saidullaev in August. The objective of the Fund sounded super-relevant to the Chechen society: searching for the "disappeared" and preparing the grounds for activities of a special plenipotentiary commission on the "disappeared," the creation of which was included in Saidullaev's presidential program. The task itself is very worthy indeed; the other thing is to fulfill the plan... In any case, at that time we met cordially, parted not without regret and agreed to keep in touch, since there was a phone in the headquarters " incredible advance of the progress " and even an access to e-mail, which is virtually unreal in Grozny.

On 25 September, the RF Supreme Court predictably declined Saidullaev's appeal, and I sent a letter of sympathy to my friends. I could not even guess that the headquarters would be immediately closed down.

Both Milan Saidullaev, Malik's brother settled down in their patriarchal residence in Alkhan-Yurt, and Mukhamed Arsanukaev, head of the election campaign, had sounded very convincing while explaining to me just a couple of weeks before that in the case of a negative decision of the court, their headquarters would continue the agitation work with the electorate calling people to vote against all, and so on. Both were eloquent and persuasive. Though generally distrustful and skeptical, I almost believed them. Big mistake.

Already on 26 September my anxious calls to the headquarters were met by long miserable beeping; Arsanukayev's cell phone was "out of the coverage" and hopelessly unreachable. The situation was clear, and from then the future of the staff officers and guards of the removed candidate raised serious concerns: Kadyrov's people dislike any opposition, and those who were on Saidullaev's side could be in danger. Plus, I was particularly worried about my Moscow friends: what is with them, where are they, how are they going to get out? And where should I look for them if there is no number to call? The headquarters phone was almost the only working number in Grozny that I was aware of. And not because I am not acquainted with but a few people in town " it is just that phones are otherworldly luxury there. If you can hardly digest the fact that one of the subjects of the Russian Federation has no phone connection in the 21st century, just make a trip to Grozny.

My fears did not come true, though. On 27 September both "Saidullaev's men of Russian origin" burst into the office of the Moscow Helsinki Group safe and sound. Yura, a 25 years old PR-consultant, offered to relate the story of their untimely deceased headquarter activities and share his impressions about pre-election Chechnya. Our conversation lasted about two hours; I will refer just to the part concerning the elections.

Yura got into Saidullaev's headquarters due to his friend Kheda, a Chechen journalist. Kheda is well-known in the region: she writes, works on TV and even made some reports for the BBC. At the onset of the election campaign, she got many tempting offers; virtually all candidates including Kadyrov tried to gain her support. However, she staked on Saidullaev as on the optimal choice. For the past two years, Malik had been rendering humanitarian assistance and became politically active, thus winning support of many Chechens. He had an image of a smart, thrifty and peaceful man taking care of his people. Khussein Dzhabrailov, another Moscow businessman, got the same act together already quite close to the election, so he enjoyed less popularity. Yura who actually advised Kheda to make this choice, promptly followed her to Grozny to become a member of Saidullaev's team.

Having settled down in Saidullaev's headquarters, they decided to find out how their main rivals from Kadyrov's headquarters were faring. Kheda made a call to the press service of the Acting President of Chechnya. She had been approached by them before, so she pretended to accept that offer. However, she was answered that Kadyrov's headquarters no longer needed her professional services or, in fact, any PR-support at all. But if she wanted to make some money, then she should get some combatants for Kadyrov, "and the more, the better!" Kadyrov's election campaign thus became unmasked " he staked on the force alone and needed soldiers for his notorious "security service," preferably by entire djamaats. This very "security service" intimidates not only the local people but the federal servicemen as well, since at least 10% of the gang are sheer criminals.

Saidullaev formed 26 district headquarters in Chechnya within a short time. The central office was staffed with the most loyal people and functioned on a semi-military principle. It should be admitted though that there were some accidental personnel in the other headquarters. The reliable members and relatives composed the backbone of the teams. The rest of the applicants were initially supposed to be subjected to careful screening. Those who had been originally in favor of Ichkeria and went around chanting, "Freedom or death" but then came to Saidullaev's headquarters in a suit with a document case and sang him praises, were to be avoided. But Chechen etiquette did not allow refusing them bluntly, even though they hampered the work. With Saidullaev's de-registration, all those people vanished into thin air. About two thirds of the headquarters staff were "tested" people who knew: with Malik's becoming President they would get certain power positions. And the remaining third came just for the money.

Saidullaev's election campaign was plain, but no creativity was even required "particularly considering the burning hatred of voters toward A.Kadyrov, the high popularity of Saidullaev, Dzhabrailov's early desertion and the passivity and further withdrawal of Aslakhanov. The main agitation means for Saidullaev were posters (handsome Malik in a handsome sheep hat and another one " an equally handsome Malik not in a sheep hat but in a suit with Mecca on the background) and graffiti on the fences ("Malik is our President!" "Vote for Malik!" etc.). Sympathetic voters helped with the graffiti " they also tore off many Kadyrov's posters and attacked Kadyrov's graffiti. In the standard "Kadyrov "our President!" slogan, the last word would be effaced and an eloquent curse "goat" would be written over it. In some places, skilled craftsmen even nailed cut off ram's balls to the photogenic forehead of the Acting President... There wasn't even much of a need to instigate people to these actions " things ran pretty much of their own accord, initiated by the blatant love of the electorate for Akhmat-Hadji with his "pure intentions and strong power."

Naturally, Saidullaev's team, all his 26 headquarters, did work with the residents, collected their signatures in support of the candidate, propagandize his program. The Grozny headquarters were delivering a media-campaign. Two TV spots were made; one called "I am a Chechen" and focused on Malik himself, his family and his humanitarian initiatives. But they did not manage to really unfold the campaigning activity " they intended to do so in the last two weeks prior to the election day, and on 11 September Saidullaev was withdrawn, which put an end to the open agitation by his team. Although, some materials prepared earlier were published by several newspapers that did not want to loose the money and neglected the formal prohibition. In context of Saidullaev's de-registration, it is only the story with his deposit that remains unclear to this day. The candidate himself (in his interview to the respectable weekly "Ezhenedelny Zhurnal," and not only) claimed that he had been prevented from paying a deposit. But the deposit was definitely paid: on 26 August a letter signed by the candidate himself and Mukhamed Arsanukaev, the head of the campaign, was sent to the Chechnya Election Commission with a request for Saidullaev's registration as a candidate in the presidential election on the basis of the deposit. And the money was duly transferred to the corresponding account. Then, the signatures of Saidullaev's supporters were also submitted to the Election Commission. They were recognized as satisfactory to the fullest and the original deposit was returned to the candidate. The question is still open: why did the candidate, or his team members, take this money back, why did they not secure themselves with the deposit in case of a sudden de-validation of the electors' signatures? The staff of the main headquarters had given me some very vague answers to this pertinent question before, and now even Yura would not clarify it for me. I suspect that it was an ordinary failure of the candidate's team...

It is also interesting that the claim of another candidate, Paizullaev (a known Chechen poet who used to recite praising odes to Malik when drunk, but succumbed to Kadyrov's aforementioned "intentions" and "power"), the claim which was the reason for Saidullaev's withdrawal, was dated by August 1 at the same time containing a reference to 27 August. That means that even the form was not appropriate. In any case, as Yura has emphasized, the head of the campaign was explained in details that signatures were signatures, but his candidate had three more complains on hold against him: on violations in agitation, on bribery of voters and on possessing undeclared property. So, the option with signatures might be not the worst one.

From 11 to 25 of September, Saidullaev's headquarters were not too active in protesting or organizing demonstrations. The candidate did not want to spoil his relations with Moscow, he tried to solve the issue informally. And in general " meetings are a dangerous activity: since 1991 in Chechnya people hold meetings and shoot, frequently combining these two actions. Large-scaled meetings traditionally end with shooting.

Saidullaev regularly called from Moscow to his Grozny headquarters to support the fighting spirit in the team, "You just wait, guys, the deal will be settled in our favor and we will work yet " Just wait a bit more!"Those who came only for the money chose not to wait and pulled out almost right away. But the majority remained. It was also rumored that the whole story with the withdrawal from registration was just a genius maneuver within the election campaign frames: the whole scandal would make Malik's rating sky-high and then the Supreme Court would take a just decision enabling Saidullaev to mount to the Presidency on the crest of glory without any additional effort. The rumor was spreading at an unbelievable speed and was taken by many for granted. But as we know it was far from reality...

Saidullaev's withdrawal was confirmed by the Russian Supreme Court. Affirmations of his followers that in that case the headquarters would stand firmly against Kadyrov and call the people to vote against all candidates dissolved into thin air as a soap bubble. Whether due to the lack of human (read " military) resources or again, fear to spoil the relationship with Moscow, but not a single office remained from 26 headquarters. And Malik Saidullaev temporary left for Europe.

On October 5, the "all-nation election for the President of Chechen Republic" will be held.

And the turn-out will certainly be high.

And Akhmat Kadyrov, who all this time "was with his people in the very place where, unfortunately, his people ended up," will be elected without a shadow of a doubt.

And already one can hope for nothing. Or, to think of it, the only hope remaining is that the elections won't be followed by particularly loud shooting. Let us hope for that " in its own way, it would also be a miracle.



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Originally posted by: kitkataha

Exactly BlueIce. Yuvi is class apart, and the way he battled Cancer recently proves he is man of steel. Other than that, he's sheer brilliance on the field. 👏 if he's not a man, then toh koi bhi mard nahi. 😛

I see no point of this pointless "debate". Kat fans will s**t shame DP, DP fans will s**t shame Kat. But they need to realize, these two are creatures of the same breed. In fact these two share much in common than the fans ever will.

One reason why I personally support Katrina over DP OFFSCREEN is b/c I've yet to see her bad mouth any of her contemporaries. 😊