Parliaments Of Daghestan, Ingushetia Elect Leaders

Ingushetia's leader, Yunus-Bek Yevkurov (file photo)

MAGAS, Russia -- Russia's two North Caucasus republics, Ingushetia and Daghestan, have elected leaders.

Daghestan's acting President Ramazan Abdulatipov and Ingushetia's incumbent head Yunus-Bek Yevkurov were elected by the two republics' parliaments on September 8.

They, along with several other local politicians, had been nominated by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The elections were the first conducted by the parliaments since the two republics eliminated the direct election of the republics' leaders this year.

In April, Putin signed a law that allowed parliaments in the regions to elect leaders rather than conducting popular elections.

Ingushetia and Daghestan are known as Russia's most volatile regions.

They have been plagued by violence linked to Islamic extremists and organized criminal groups.

Based on reporting by Interfax and ITAR-TASS