Election time in Arkhangelsk
Posters are all over Arkhangelsk ahead of this months city mayors elections. After months of political turmoil, the northern Russian city might finally see stability coming.
A student group at the Pomor University in Arkhangelsk cleverly organised what will be the only election debate ahead of city mayor’s elections. The students did not succeed in attracting the favourite to win the vote however. Mr. Viktor Pavlenko, acting city mayor and the man who has the support of Governor Ilya Mikhalchuk, turned down the invitation from the students.
Roads, housing and garbage were the main discussion topics in the debate, which took place in the premises of the university.
Scandal
There are no real elections in Arkhangelsk, he argues. He is supported by local political analyst Sergey Fyodorov who sees the elections more like an appointment of Viktor Pavlenko.
-Here you can see how the Russian power vertical is developing in Arkhangelsk, Mr. Donskoy said to BarentsObserver.
A total of 12 individuals candidate in the elections, which are due 25 May. Among the candidates are, quite suspiciously, five people with the same name.
Pavlenko for mayor
After regional Governor Ilya Mikhalkov expressed support for acting mayor Viktor Pavlenko, the two favourite candidates Sergey Moiseev and Ernest Belkorovin both pulled out of the race, leaving Mr. Pavlenko the likelywinner of the vote.
New stability
The Arkhangelsk elections are to be held after former mayor Aleksandr Donskoy in March this year resigned from his post. He had then been in prison for more than half a year for a number of alleged law violations. He himself claims a conflict with former governor Kiselyov was the reason for his arrest and subsequent one year suspended prison sentence.
In the election debate, candidate Aleksandr Grechanin said the situation in the city was out of control following the conflict between the mayor’s and governor’s office.
At the same time, the city mayor elections in Arkhangelsk could now prepare the ground for new stability in Arkhangelsk politics. With new governor Ilya Mikhalchuk, appointed in April, and a new city mayor, the region looks set to overcome the never-ending conflict between city mayor and governor.
Who won the election debate? According to former mayor Donskoy, the only winners were the students of the Pomor University who organised the city’s only election debate.
Photos: BarentsObserver.com
