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Viewing cable 09STPETERSBURG75, UNITED RUSSIA WINS PETROZAVODSK MAYORAL ELECTION TWO WEEKS

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
09STPETERSBURG75 2009-06-18 08:49 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Consulate St Petersburg
R 180849Z JUN 09
FM AMCONSUL ST PETERSBURG
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 2784
INFO AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 
AMCONSUL ST PETERSBURG 
AMCONSUL VLADIVOSTOK 
AMCONSUL YEKATERINBURG
UNCLAS ST PETERSBURG 000075 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: RS PGOV
SUBJECT: UNITED RUSSIA WINS PETROZAVODSK MAYORAL ELECTION TWO WEEKS 
BEFORE THE VOTE 
 
REF: ST. PETERSBURG 008 
 
 
1. (SBU) Summary:  Karelia's Governor Katanandov appointed 
former opposition politician and mayoral candidate Davletkhan 
Alikhanov to the position of governor's representative in 
Russia's Federation Council.  In exchange, Alikhanov withdrew 
from Petrozavodsk's mayoral election, which many thought he had 
a good shot of winning.  Alikhanov, a former member of A Just 
Russia's faction in the Republic of Karelia's Legislative 
Assembly, joined United Russia and promised to patch up all 
differences and cooperate with Katanandov.  Alikhanov's 
withdrawal assures victory in the upcoming election for United 
Russia's nominee, Karelia's Legislative Assembly Speaker Levin, 
who faces no other serious challengers.  Prior to these 
political maneuvers, the Petrozavodsk mayoral election had the 
signs of actually being competitive and offering voters a 
choice.  End Summary. 
 
2. (SBU) Petrozavodsk's mayor's office became vacant in January 
when former Mayor Vladimir Maslyakov unexpectedly resigned 
(reftel) over the regional government's decision to move up the 
mayoral election from 2010 to 2009 despite Maslyakov's 
objections.  A special mayoral election to fill the post is 
scheduled for July 5.  United Russia (with Governor Sergey 
Katanandov's approval) nominated Karelia's Legislative Assembly 
Speaker Nikolay Levin as its candidate.  The majority in 
Petrozavodsk's City Council, who are generally opposed to 
Governor Katanandov and United Russia, backed former Vice 
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Davletkhan Alikhanov, a 
local construction entrepreneur who has been politically active 
for years.  The City's Election Commission registered both Levin 
and Alikhanov , along with six other lesser-known candidates, 
while rejecting two other candidates for submitting invalid 
registration forms. 
 
3. (SBU) Opposition forces in Petrozavodsk were weakened by the 
recent criminal conviction of one of its leaders, former 
Petrozavodsk City Council Chairman Vasiliy Popov.  Popov was 
found guilty in February of blackmailing a politician close to 
Katanandov - a three-year old charge that had been revived at an 
opportune time for the Karelian Government and United Russia. 
(Note: While we can't be certain of the merits of the 
conviction, its timing was certainly convenient)  Popov would 
have been a strong contender in the mayoral election himself, 
but, because of his conviction, he is now barred by Russian law 
from running for elected office. 
 
4. (SBU) Alikhanov, who had been a member of the A Just Russia 
faction in the Republic's Legislative Assembly and had numerous 
allies among the party's regional activists, sought the support 
of his party for his candidacy.  But the party's federal and 
regional leadership decided against supporting him for what 
appear to be internal party reasons.  Moreover, the Karelian 
branch of A Just Russia recently changed its leadership, 
excluding Alikhanov's allies from major posts.  The local 
Communist Party also refused to back Alikhanov, despite failing 
to nominate their own candidate for the job of mayor.  Alikhanov 
therefore ran as an independent candidate without official 
support from any party. 
 
5. (SBU) Alikhanov seemed poised  to win the upcoming mayoral 
elections.  Recent polls showed that Alikhanov was leading with 
24% of the expected vote, while Levin was second with 21%.  All 
other candidates had less than 10% combined, while some 45% of 
Petrozavodsk's residents remained undecided.  Alikhanov 
maintained his slight lead despite the apparent heavy 
governmental pressure on local media.  Major television channels 
in Karelia reportedly broadcast only positive coverage of Levin, 
turning their local news reports into essentially free 
advertising for Levin.  At the same time, local TV stations 
announced they would not broadcast any campaign commercials. 
This left Alikhanov with little opportunity to get his message 
across and let Levin effectively dominate the airwaves. 
 
6. (SBU) On June 15, Governor Katanandov unexpectedly proposed 
that Alikhanov become Karelia's new representative in Russia's 
Federation Council.  Karelia's Legislative Assembly quickly 
approved this proposal, and Alikhanov announced his withdrawal 
from the mayoral race.  He then entered into discussions with 
federal policy makers in Moscow and subsequently joined United 
Russia together with his ally Oleg Fokin, who had succeeded 
Popov as Petrozavodsk's City Council Chairman.  Commenting on 
their decision, Alikhanov and Fokin said that they viewed 
political consolidation as an important step during the ongoing 
economic crisis. 
 
7. (SBU) Comment.  Over the course of the year, political 
competition in Karelia has been significantly weakened.  Mayor 
Maslyakov, who was at odds with the regional government, 
resigned in January.  Next, opposition leader Popov was barred 
from running for office after his blackmail conviction.  Now, 
two other prominent independent political leaders have moved 
away from the opposition camp and joined United Russia.  As a 
result, United Russia's candidate will almost certainly win 
Petrozavodsk's upcoming July 5 mayoral race.  Additionally, 
Alikhanov's allies in Petrozavodsk's City Council will likely 
follow their comrade and join United Russia's faction, thus 
transforming it into the City Council's major party.  End 
Comment. 
 
 
GWALTNEY