Chechens vote for new parliament, but rights groups decry election

Alex Rodriguez,… Chechens vote for new parliament, but rights groups decry election

Alex Rodriguez, Chicago Tribune

MOSCOW – The Russian republic of Chechnya elected a new parliament Sunday, a vote viewed by the Kremlin as a political milestone but decried by human-rights activists as illegitimate in the midst of a guerrilla war and reports of police abductions and torture of innocent civilians.

The election of the North Caucasus republic’s 61-seat assembly marks the final step in the Kremlin’s plan to bring peace to Chechnya, where separatist fighters have been battling Moscow for the province’s independence since 1994.

That plan eschewed negotiations with separatist rebels and instead called for a three-tiered political process aimed at giving the mountain province a degree of autonomy from Moscow. The plan included the establishment of a new constitution – approved by voters in 2003 – and the election of a president last year, followed by a national vote to create a parliament.

“The fact that we are holding these elections for parliament is proof of stability in the republic,” Chechen President Alu Alkhanov told the Russian news agency ITAR-Tass Friday.

However, human-rights groups that have been monitoring Moscow’s handling of the Chechen conflict for years argue that the province’s persistent climate of fear casts doubt on any attempt to hold elections in Chechnya.

The Muslim republic’s second war has raged on unabated since 1999, killing an estimated 100,000 people. Pro-Moscow Chechen militias continue to kidnap and torture civilians, usually young male Chechens. The Moscow-based human-rights group Memorial says 235 kidnappings of Chechens were recorded this year – 13 of them were killed and 122 others remain missing. The rest were released.

Japan, U.S. eye joint U.N. reform plan

The Yomiuri Shimbun

TOKYO – The Japanese government has entered into discussions with U.S. officials on a joint draft plan to reform the U.N. Secretariat, Japanese government sources said.

In the draft reform plan to streamline both U.N. projects and its budget, the two governments will propose abolition of some divisions of the U.N. Secretariat and push for an early retirement system for staff.

By cooperating with the United States, which is eager to revamp the secretariat, the government hopes to obtain support from Washington for Japan’s attempt to reform the U.N. Security Council, the sources said Saturday.

The two governments hope to make the plan public by late next month to reflect changes in the U.N. budget in and after 2006.

Yukio Takasu, Japan’s ambassador in charge of U.N. reform, has been in the United States since Nov. 20 to discuss the plan’s details with U.S. officials, including Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton.

Foreign Minister Taro Aso is scheduled to visit the United States in early December to exchange opinions on the issue with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the sources said.

Colleges on the West Coast are refining their cafeteria options

Nancy Luna, The Orange County Register

SANTA ANA, Calif. – Chefs at a busy Orange County dining hall whip up a gourmet lunch feast that would make any foodie’s mouth water: blackened pollock drizzled with tomato coulis served over a bed of jambalaya, a fajita salad topped with tender chunks of “hangar” beef strips and deli sandwiches made with artisan bread.

The locally caught fish and regional dishes cater to the palate of the buffet eatery’s most demanding customer: college students. Indeed, gourmet has hit the halls of academia.

National and local universities are spicing up cafeteria menus as more students prefer fancier fare to traditional mess-hall meals.

Chapman University started rolling out fresh-Mex specials, grilled sandwiches, vegan rice bowls and pan-seared salmon this fall. Coming soon at Cal State Fullerton, woks will move near serving lines to showcase fresh stir-fry meals, while UC Irvine plans to add a sushi chef and specialty concessions in 2007.

“I think freshness is a big deal with students who want to feel like they are getting a meal that’s not from a chafing dish,” said Kurt Borsting, director of Cal State Fullerton’s Titan Student Union.

Though the days of college-grub staples – meatloaf, Salisbury steak and spaghetti – are not completely over, food-service providers are finding financial value in injecting flair into ho-hum menus. College cafeterias are projected to generate $11.1 billion in sales in 2006, up from $10.1 billion last year. At the same time, research shows colleges can gain a competitive edge by serving restaurant-quality food.