Moscow news
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25-Jun-2007
Kremlin gives blessing to Luzhkov for 5th term as Moscow mayor
MOSCOW, June 25 (Itar-Tass) -- Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov is perhaps the most high-profile regional leader in Russia who sought leading roles in federal politics back in 1999, who did not give up his ambitions and successfully fit into the system of power created by President Vladimir Putin and who is heading for the fifth consecutive four-year term of office.
Luzhkov, whose tour of duty ends in December 2007, asked the president if he would trust him to serve another term and received an affirmative answer. His candidature was submitted to the City Moscow Duma, and experts say his confirmation is a decided matter.
In their view, President Vladimir Putin?s decision to keep Luzhkov in office was motivated by his desire to preserve stability in the capital ahead of the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections. But not all are confident that the mayor will be allowed to serve out his four-year term.
The Moscow City Duma will discuss Luzhkov?s candidature on June 27. Since the absolute majority of seats in the parliament (28 out of 35) belong to United Russia, which spoke in favour of extending Luzhkov?s term long before the president?s decision, his confirmation will go smoothly.
The opposition factions of the Communist Party (4 deputies) and Yabloko ? United Democrats (3 deputies) have so far not made up their mind. But their scarce presence cannot upset the reconfirmation of the incumbent mayor and they criticise him without much vigour. Communists recall his membership in United Russia that voted for the ?anti-popular? monetisation of in-kind benefits, and Yabloko says that although Luzhkov is a good mayor, power, including at the city level, should be changeable.
Ivan Novitsky of Yabloko ? United Democrats, quoted by Gazeta, says the liberal opposition will most likely refrain from voting.
Experts believe that the nearing parliamentary and presidential elections helped the mayor garner the support of federal authorities. Luzhkov will lead United Russia?s election list in the Moscow City Duma polls.
?The 10-million Moscow electorate is under his control, and he is one of the key figures at the federal and city levels,? Novye Izvestia quoted deputy director general of the Centre of Political Studies, Alexander Shatilov, as saying. ?He has an established system, a mechanism of influencing the electoral process, and he can secure a percentage of votes for United Russia and other pro-government parties in the State Duma elections.?
?Putin and Luzhkov have exchanged mutual guarantees ahead of federal elections in 2007-2008: the Kremlin needs the votes of the Moscow electorate, and Mayor Luzhkov needs certainty about his future after the change of president,? the Internet portal NEWSru.com said.
Although the mayor has repeatedly said, citing his age, that he will not remain in office for another term, analysts believe that the problem of successor largely made him change his mind. The Internet publication Strana.ru says the most vivid, young and active representatives of the Luzhkov team, who had a chance of taking his place, were appointed as governors of different regions over the past few years: Georgy Boos in the Kaliningrad region, Valery Shantsev in the Nizhny Novgorod region, and Mikhail Men in the Ivanovo region. ?If no successor is grown within his own team before the end of the next four-year tern, Luzhkov will have to hand power over to the Kremlin?s candidate at the end of 2011,? Strana.ru said.
The lack of intrigue in the upcoming voting for Luzhkov as Moscow mayor does not mean that there is no intrigue in his appointment for the fifth term, Vremya Novostei said. The main reason for that is that Putin?s nomination does not guarantee the mayor a long contract. After election he may be called to account for political ambitions at the end of the 1990s, his repeated criticism of federal authorities, and scandals surrounding economic boom in the capital.
?The desire of the Kremlin?s officials from St. Petersburg to take Moscow under control, as was evidenced by a series of rumours about Luzhkov?s imminent resignation in 2005-2006, is still there,? Kommersant said.
Putin decided to nominate Luzhkov because ?finding another leader for Moscow is very hard, and virtually impossible with the federal elections nearing,? first deputy director of the Centre of Political Technologies Boris Makarenko said.
?There are very few high-profile regional leaders who have a way with business and an excellent political instinct. He is one of the few, and the most outstanding one among them,? he said, adding, ?Although he gave up an independent political role at the federal level in 1999, Luzhkov is one of the regional leaders who do play at the federal level.?
Luzhkov, 70, has been holding the reigns of power in the 10-million city with a budget of 700 billion roubles for 10 years since 1992. He was appointed acting mayor in June 1992 by President Boris Yeltsin?s decree and then was elected to this post three times in 1996, 1999, 2003.
Prior to the State Duma elections in 1999, the Moscow mayor, along with Tatar President Mintimer Shaimiyev and former Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov, was one of the leaders of the Motherland ? All Russia Bloc that was the main rival of Unity, the then party of power, in the elections. It was clear ahead of the elections that if the Primakov-Luzhkov tandem won, it would then take top positions in the state.
After defeat, Luzhkov seemed to have reconciled himself with the thought that he would not play major roles at the federal level and led his Motherland ? All Russia to join United Russia created at Putin?s initiative. He is a co-chairman of its Supreme Council up to date.
The author of over 200 publications and books on social and economic development in Russia, Luzhkov holds patents for more than 50 inventions.
He is married and has two sons and two daughters. His second wife, Yelena Baturina, is a co-owner of the company Inteko. According to the Forbes Magazine, her personal holdings in 2006 were estimated at 2.4 billion U.S. dollars.
Itar Tass