Moscow, 12 July: Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov, who has repeatedly called for a third term for Vladimir Putin, has again said that Putin should stay in office for a third term beyond March 2008.

"I very much hope that the legislative branch of the Russian Federation will demonstrate its political wisdom and will approve a law allowing Putin to run for president for a third term. I do not see a political alternative to him," Kadyrov told RIA Novosti. On 14 July Kadyrov will mark 100 days since his inauguration. [Passage omitted]

"If there is a change in leadership, I think this will affect not only Chechnya," Kadyrov said, adding that Putin was a person thanks to whom Russia's economic and spiritual revival has taken place and thanks to whom Russia has regained respect in the world.

Kadyrov described himself as a member of the current Russian president's team. "Yes, I am a member of Putin's team," he said.

Commenting on some commentators' concerns that Chechnya's leader may become too independent and "uncontrollable" in the future, Kadyrov said that he did not suffer from a lack of self-reliance now as well.

"My main task is to rebuild the republic and ensure political and economic stability for its citizens, so that no-one has a desire to get influenced by ideas that are alien to us. When a person is well fed and mentally calm, he does not want to seek 'imaginary' independence or other ideas that are harmful for himself," Kadyrov said.