Four Russian governors resign due to sanctions issues.
As Russia prepares for economic sanctions, four regional governors resigned on Tuesday.
The governors of Tomsk, Saratov, Kirov, and Mari El announced their immediate resignations. In contrast, the governor of Ryazan stated he would not seek re-election.
In September, elections will be held in each of the five regions.
Although they are politically subject to the Kremlin, regional governors in Russia are elected.
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Several leaving governors represent districts where United Russia, the governing party, had low vote percentages in last year’s parliamentary elections.
Unpopular governors are often dismissed from office, with several resignations occurring in the spring months.
According to Ilya Grashchenkov, chairman of the Moscow-based Centre for the Development of Regional Politics, the Kremlin is dismissing weak governors as the country’s economic outlook worsens due to Western sanctions.
“There is a need to reform the economy,” Grashchenkov added, “, particularly in those places where Western economic influence has been substantial.” These governors should be replaced with fresher candidates.”
Eric is a professional news editor, writer, and blogger for the last 10 years. He is working with NewsGater as an off-beat news editor cum writer.