Conflict in Murmansk regional branch of United Russia

According to press secretary of the Murmansk City Council Oksana Gurova, Murmansk Oblast governor Yury Yevdokimov refused to support current Mayor of Murmansk Mikhail Savchenko as United Russia’s main candidate in the election to the post as mayor. Savchenko received more than 90 % of the votes in United Russia’s primary elections. Gurova claims that Yury Yevdokimov acted against party discipline and supported his deputy, Sergey Subbotin, as candidate to the post. Subbotin is a party member, but is registered in the elections as independent. Governor Yevdokimov’s press secretary Nikolay Sigin calls the accusations rubbish and says that the governor himself officially has declared that the party decisions are law to him, and that as a “soldier of the party” he is obliged to carry them out. In a comment to Sergey Subbotin’s participation in the election, Nikolay Sigin says that the decision was his alone. Subbotin was warned that he would have to leave the post as deputy governor if he signed up as candidate. -Subbotin made his choice, for which he had to pay with his post as Deputy Governor, Sigin says.