‘Kremlin stars’ falling: Russian governors’ resignations


There is a new staging in Russia’s political arena: regional leaders are retiring in an orderly manner. Over the last three days, Governors Marina Kovtun (Murmansk region), Yuri Berg (Orenburg region), Alexei Orlov (Kalmykia), Alexander Berdnikov (Altai) and Boris Dubrovsky (Chelyabinsk) have stepped down.

According to independent experts, the upcoming regional elections are the cause of the quits.

Some of the resigned officials are faulted for abuse of power; according to the Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta, Boris Dubrovsky may even face a jail term due to violations of antitrust laws in road construction in Chelyabinsk region. The case is $125 mln.

As for Alexander Berdnikov, he is said to have failed to drag Altai out of the economic abyss. The regional elections are scheduled for this autumn, and underdog candidates have no chance.

This ‘starfall’ will have ended by mid-April, candidates will be getting ready for the elections,” rg.ru quotes Valentina Matviyenko, Chairperson of Russia’s Federation Council.

But if there is a gap, something will fill it: Acting Governors are currently being appointed to the regions. It is highly likely that they will be the Kremlin’s candidates in the elections. Kalmykia, for example, will be led by senator and professional kickboxer Batu Khasikov.

“A representative of the Kremlin must demonstrate the ability to negotiate with local elites and the population. In this sense, the electoral system still works: if a governor is good for nothing, no one will vote for him,” Russia political analyst Dmitry Oreshkin told Belsat.

That is what happened in the course of the 2018 gubernatorial elections: in Khakassia, Khabarovsk Krai and Vladimir region Liberal Democratic and Communist candidates won. In some regions, the Kremlin managed to appoint ‘their’ men. However, some unfortunate slips were made; for example, in Primorsky Krai, Andrey Tarasenko failed the Kremlin’s trust.

It is unknown which ‘Kremlin stars’ will fall this spring. Earlier, the newspaper Izvestia published a list of potential retirees; it included former governors and current leaders of Karachay-Cherkessia, Arkhangelsk, Smolensk and Ulyanovsk and other regions.

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