A well-known doctor, member of the North Pole expedition, 37 year old Mikhail Malakhov does not rule out the possibility of a second round of gubernatorial elections in the Ryazan region, but has declared his determination to “seize” power in the region from the CPRF.

The elections of the governor of the region will take place on December 3, 2000. The present administration is headed by a former member of the Supreme Council of the RF and of the Federation Council of the first convocation, Vyacheslav Lyubimov, who was elected governor in 1996 with the support of the CPRF. At present there are ten candidates for the post.

Ryazan region is part of the so-called “red belt” of Russia. The area is

marked by diametrically opposing trends to the evolving democratisation elsewhere in Russia, stated Malakhov in an interview on November 2. But today, at the end of Lyubimov’s term, “the democratic potential of the electorate” in the region is “far higher than prior to his election””, added Malakhov.

Proceeding from this observation, Malakhov expressed his conviction that

“another return to Soviet rule in the region is impossible, even if there are two rounds of gubernatorial elections”. “I will seize power from the

communists: during their rule, the number of residents in the region below the poverty line has doubled, compared to 1996,” he added.

He also recalled that during the presidential elections in March 2000, 48% of the citizens of the region supported the candidacy of Vladimir Putin,

while only 36% of the electorate there voted for the leader of the CPRF Gennady Zyuganov.

Based on Interfax reports.

The Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Vladimir Lukin (Yabloko) is convinced that the federal authorities are bound to play a role in the elections of the heads of federation subjects of the RF, schedule for November-December 2000 in many Russian regions.

“It is unrealistic to expect the federal authorities to refrain from playing a role in the gubernatorial elections. Most importantly, there should be no violations of the law,” said Lukin at a press conference on November 1, 2000.

This was his reaction to a publication of the list of governors in the press, whose re-election the federal authorities will allegedly try to prevent.

Based on Interfax reports.

Deputy Head of the Yabloko faction in the State Duma and Secretary for Election Policies of the Yabloko Association, Igor Artemyev thinks that at the next Duma elections Yabloko and the Union of Right-Wing Forces (SPS)

will submit a single list of candidates.

“I think that we will submit a single list of candidates at the Duma elections,” said Artemyev on a “Radio Rossiyi” broadcast on November 2, 2000.

"At present, as the individual responsible for regional elections in Yabloko, I can tell you that in 80% of cases we are backing single candidates,” added Artemyev.

Artemyev also noted that at the 8th Congress of the Yabloko Association held in July 2000 the delegates unanimously supported the resolution on cooperation with the SPS on the creation of a democratic coalition.

He also listed the following examples of cooperation between Yabloko and the SPS: the deputies will submit a joint draft of the new Civil Procedural Code of the RF developed by the deputies and experts from Yabloko headed by Artemyev. “This is an extremely important document: I am convinced that the country will in future live in accordance with this document", stressed Artemyev.

Artemyev also noted that the positions of both the factions in the State Duma on the priorities of budget 2001 coincided: both Yabloko and the SPS considered education to be a priority issue. In addition both the factions considered that allocations from additional budget revenues for

this item should amount to 5 bln roubles.

"This only goes to indicate that there are no problems at all in the Duma between the SPS and ourselves. Moreover, I think that we already constitute a single big faction and help each other,” noted Artemyev.

Artemyev also called allegations on a split in Yabloko which appeared in some mass media after the 9th Congress of the association (October 28, 2000)as absolute rubbish”.

“All our leaders were elected to different management bodies of Yabloko, we engaged in a normal political discussion at the congress, as it should be at the threshhold of a new stage in any party. We debated how we should live in future and how we could consolidate our regional policies,” added Artemyev.

“We have independent people who are used to analysing independently the situation, adopt a decision and explain all our views on this issue," noted Artemyev, stressing that Yabloko, unlike the Unity faction, does not have “one single idea and unanimous opinion reminiscent of the CPSU”.

Based on the Interfax reports. See also: