Fraud claims over Chechen election

Chechnya’s president-elect pledged to bring peace and stability to his war-torn southern Russian region today after the Kremlin-backed candidate was elected in a vote tainted by allegations of fraud and overshadowed by fears of terrorism.

Alu Alkhanov, whom election officials said received 74% of Sunday’s vote, also vowed to crack down on corruption that has undermined Moscow’s efforts to restore civil society to a dysfunctional republic ravaged by a decade of fighting and chaos.