ABSTRACT
Russia's normalization strategy centred on the stabilization of the situation in the republic, reconstruction of its economy, return of refugees and the holding of a referendum on adoption of the republics constitution. The restoration of the normal political space in Chechnya also became an important pivot within this policy. The holding of parliamentary and presidential elections in 2003 and 2004 were hailed as significant steps towards the re-establishment of a normal situation in Chechnya. Within this process of political normalization, the process of a Chechenization of the local political space, or the return of local political controls to the Chechens was considered an integral part of this restructuring process. Critically, the Russian authorities refused to accept any criticism of their normalization policy in Chechnya, or acknowledge that developments on the ground did not correspond to the official version of events. Extensive and large-scale military and security operations continued alongside the discourse about normalization.
