Nezavisimaya Gazeta

South Ossetia Prepares for Presidential Election Re-Run

South Ossetia’s Central Election Commission has registered five groups who will be able to nominate candidates for the March 25 presidential elections. The registration deadline is February 29.

The five candidates are chairman of South Ossetia's Chamber of Commerce and Industry Roin Kozayev, Deputy Defense Minister Igor Alborov, former Chairman of the State Committee on Information, Telecommunications and Mass Media Georgy Kabisov, Vice Speaker Yury Dzitstsoity, and former Transport Committee Chairman Moris Sanakoyev.

Last year, 11 people ran for president in the republic, with the pro-Kremlin Emergencies Minister Anatoly Bibilov and former Education Minister Alla Dzhioyeva fighting it out in the second round. There are signs to indicate that history may be repeating itself this year.

Dzhioyeva, received a verbal promise from ex-President Eduard Kokoity that she would be allowed to participate in the March 25 elections, but she seems to have encountered problems. She clearly fears that Kokoity’s word will not be honored and that she will not have the opportunity to prove that her victory last year was no fluke. The republic’s Supreme Court overturned the election results, accusing Dzhioyeva of irregularities. She has been allowed to run for president to ease tensions, but other provisions of the agreement – the resignation of Prosecutor General Teimuraz Khugayev and Supreme Court Chairman Atsamaz Bichenov – have not been fulfilled.

Sources say that Bichenov can use the law to stop Dzhioyeva from running, especially since he has not promised her anything. Dzhioyeva has presumably failed to secure Moscow’s assistance, even though she made encouraging statements after her meeting with South Ossetia's Acting President Vadim Brovtsev earlier this week. But Brovtsev spoke guardedly about the upcoming elections and said that more talks with Dzhioyeva are possible. It looks as if these meetings are being held in order to let off steam and prevent the political kettle from blowing up. Dzhambolat Tedeyev, the chief coach of the Russian wrestling team, who contributed to tensions last year, said a proactive group of South Ossetians is encouraging him to run for the post. “I am still thinking it over,” Tedeyev said.

Last year he was not registered for the elections because he had not lived in the republic long enough. He backed off and urged his electorate to vote for Dzhioyeva. Some experts said this helped her win. If Tedeyev decides to run for the presidency this year, this will complicate the situation because Dzhioyeva’s firm stand against ex-President Kokoity has increased her support among the electorate considerably.

The Kremlin is unlikely to support Bibilov again and hence one can assume that a new player may unexpectedly appear on the South Ossetian political stage. Moscow needs to find a candidate that would suit itself and the South Ossetian people, as well as having no involvement with any of the opposing camps during last year’s elections, and importantly, would not put the outgoing government on its guard.

Vedomosti

Prokhorov Meets the Crowd

Mikhail Prokhorov has launched his presidential election campaign by meeting with young voters in Kazan. The event attracted some 1,500 people from Moscow, Naberezhnye Chelny, Cheboksary and other cities. The businessman enjoyed a warm welcome and spoke for over two hours. He started with his success stories, beginning with the first pair of jeans he stonewashed and the time when he unloaded cargo trains, before he went on to purchase Norilsk Nickel. He outlined ten points of his election agenda and went on to answer questions.

His election agenda prompted many. Prokhorov described how he would change the tax system and how it would affect middle-class incomes. The storm of applause interrupted him more than once, his suggestions to abolish the unified state exam and military conscription being two of the occasions.

The billionaire covered a wide range of issues. He talked about Russian politics, economy, sports, education, culture, healthcare, legal system and much more. His key statements were “the state must address people’s needs” and “Russia’s problems are caused by the lack of competition in all areas.” Prokhorov proposed triggering competition everywhere, from business and science to law enforcement and the courts. Citing examples from his personal experience, Prokhorov reminisced, “When I joined Norilsk Nickel, 70% of the staff were drinkers and the remaining 30% were athletes. When I quit the company, the figures were the other way around.”

Social issues sparked a lively debate. Prokhorov listened to proposals of free land allocation (he did not object), children’s hospitals and salaries for clergymen. In turn, Prokhorov suggested encouraging large families by exempting them from the income tax and granting them tax breaks in business.

A member of the young mothers’ movement complained to Prokhorov that she had to virtually send the cap around to pay for the medical treatment of a sick baby in Germany. The candidate promised to give her the money, adding that he spent $50 million a year on charity.

Prokhorov’s plan to enlarge regions puzzled the public. A participant from Tatarstan objected that the republic would not benefit from annexing less successful regions. The billionaire explained that growing competition would require enlargement at the expense of neighbors, but promised that the decision would be up to the people.

Prokhorov also received questions about his wedding plans. He promised to get married as soon as he “meets the right person” and got a thank you for not marrying socialite Ksenia Sobchak.

Many people appreciated the fact that the billionaire brought some diversity to the stale Russian politics. Prokhorov promised not to invite Vladimir Putin to join his government. He noted, however, that “it is not Putin or Kudrin but all of us” who are responsible for the way things stand in Russia today.

After the meeting, Prokhorov spoke with journalists. He announced that the young audience had been a great source of inspiration and said he was going to play basketball with the Student Basketball Association later in the day.

Kommersant

Russian Cities Want to Elect Mayors

Two Russian cities, Ulyanovsk and Miass, have called for direct elections of city mayors. The government reportedly supports the idea.

Igor Voinov, the head of the city council and mayor of Miass, one of the biggest cities in the Chelyabinsk Region in the Urals, proposed reinstating direct mayoral elections. He explained in his comments that city councils cannot effectively control hired city managers and 85% of residents are opposed to the non-transparent “two-headed” administrative system.

Miass legislature tried to reinstate direct mayoral elections in 2006, a year after the post of city manager was introduced. However, the United Russia majority blocked the motion. Chelyabinsk Governor Mikhail Yurevich recently agreed that city managers are ineffective. “Miass is constantly struggling with problems. It seems like they will never end – at least until direct elections are reinstated there,” he said. Even city manager Sergei Davydov recognized in late 2011 that mayors need to be elected. The next mayoral election may be staged in Miass in March 2014, on the same day as the City Duma vote.

Ulyanovsk Governor Sergei Morozov proposed “considering setting up a group of lawmakers to study the issue of reinstating direct mayoral elections,” addressing the city legislature on Wednesday. “If people want to elect their mayor, they should be given this opportunity,” he said.

Last year, 44 regional capitals gave up mayoral elections, but Ulyanovsk was one of the few that resisted the change. The elected mayor kept his post until December 7, 2011. The initiative, brought forth by United Russia, was blocked by the opposition on two occasions, and amendments cancelling mayoral elections in Ulyanovsk were not adopted until summer 2010. However, Marina Bespalova, a United Russia lawmaker who was elected to head the city by the local legislature, said she planned to reinstate mayoral elections.

The idea of abolishing direct mayoral elections came from regional governors after their elections were also cancelled in 2004. Regional governors are now appointed by the president. A 2006 bill, which could effectively strip local governments of any independence, was called off after the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe interfered. However, the government found a legitimate way to cancel elections, according to Emil Markwart, President of the European Club of Experts on Local Self-Government. They introduced the practice of hiring “city managers” on a competitive basis. Governors in fact had enough influence to ensure that the job went to their team members.

However, it is possible that direct mayoral elections will be reinstated by the government. A source in the president’s executive office said that once gubernatorial elections are reinstated the trend may also reach the municipal level.

Analysts also believe that mayoral elections will be a political trend and that cities will stop hiring city managers. “Cancelling elections is a harmful practice because it dilutes responsibility,” said political analyst Alexander Kynev. City legislatures must be also stripped of the authority to fire mayors, Markwart added.

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