It remains uncertain who or when will choose the mayor of Krasnoyarsk.
In Krasnoyarsk, there’s no word yet on when a new mayoral election will take place if the current mayor, Vladislav Loginov (who's facing corruption charges), gets booted. During a city council meeting, deputy Semen Senderskiy posed the question about whether they'd be choosing a new boss according to the charter, if that were to happen.
Elena Yuzhakova, chair of the city council's permanent commission on local governance, flat-out refused to speak in the conditional tense. So, no concrete answers there.
Loginov was nabbed a week ago. A Moscow basmanny court, where he was transported for sentencing, approved the prosecution's request and slapped him with a two-month jail sentence for taking a bribe of 180 million rubles in exchange for helping MP "SATP" win road repair contracts in the city.
The acting mayor, you ask? His first deputy, Alexei Shuvalov, took over the reins.
The city council also discussed by-elections to fill Pavel Kresko's seat, who stepped down after charges were brought against him. The by-elections are set for September, and the necessary funds (12.5 million rubles) have been allocated in the budget correction.
Come September, the city council will hold its last vote; the baton will then pass to the deputies of the city district of Krasnoyarsk. Beyond the city, areas like Soloncovsky, Elitovsky, Mininsky rural councils, and the settlement of Berezovka will also be part of the district.
As for Krasnoyarsk's mayor, ain't no direct vote for him no more. Since the mid-2000s, most Russian cities have stopped holding direct mayoral elections, and the selection of mayors has shifted to regional appointments. Today, only a handful of cities still have direct mayoral elections, with regional authorities or city councils making the call instead of the public.
And if Loginov gets axed, expect the same—an appointment made according to the regional authorities' and city council's preferences, with the new mayor stepping into office quickly to keep the local administration running smoothly. But the exact timeline depends on Krasnoyarsk's specific regional laws and practices.
News of potential changes in Krasnoyarsk's political landscape is emerging, as the city council discusses the need for a new mayoral election following corruption charges against the current mayor, Vladislav Loginov. The charter may be followed to choose a new mayor if Loginov is removed, but the exact process and timeline remain unclear due to the council's reluctance to discuss the matter in the conditional tense.
