No. 014 Primorye Election Update: May 8, 2001 Primorye Duma Deputies Upset over Tolstoshein Return

                                                            

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   No. 14

                                                    

                                                     U.S. Consulate General, Vladivostok

                                                                           May 8, 2001

 

 

Primorye Election Update: May 8, 2001

 

 

1.  Primorye Duma Deputies Upset over Tolstoshein Return

The Primorye Duma leadership is considering possible moves against Konstantin Tolstoshein to prevent him from remaining as Acting Governor – or even First Deputy.  This move is somewhat unexpected since in Nazdratenko’s time a solid majority of the 39-member Duma were considered to be strong supporters of the ex-Governor (26 are members of Nazdratenko’s fraction “Vozrozhdeniye Primorya”).  However, this support has not translated into loyalty – or even kind feelings – toward Nazdratenko’s First Deputy.

Umanets: No to
Leapfrogging Deputies

Deputy Duma Speaker Boris Umanets decried the third change in Acting Governor within the past two weeks as "Administrative leap-frog". Opposition Leader Sergey Dudnik also called the recent turnover of Acting Governors “illegal.”  The Deputies have agreed to meet on May 11 to consider further actions, which may include a vote of no confidence against Tolstoshein, a Resolution defining the legal conditions under which Acting Governors are appointed, or a direct appeal to President Putin to put the situation right.  According to Yuriy Rybalkin, Duma deputy and gubernatorial candidate, almost all Duma Deputies would rather have someone other than Tolstoshein as  Acting Governor. For a vote of no confidence against Tolstoshein to succeed, a two-thirds majority would be needed.  According to Opposition Deputy Sergey Solovyev, a vote of no confidence would appear to be beyond the ability of the current Duma leadership.

 

2.  Duma Also Miffed at Kremlin Meddling

 At the same May 11 meeting, the Primorye Duma Deputies are also likely to send an appeal to President Putin to stop trying to pressure the Duma into supporting the Center’s chosen candidate, Gennadiy Apanasenko.   Deputies described the activities of Polpred Pulikovskiy and Deputy Presidential Administration Head Vladislav Surkov at this weekend’s meeting at Spassk Dalniy as “a direct violation of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.” Duma Deputies and many other observers also believe that Pulikovskiy is not entirely innocent in the fracas leading up to the return of Konstantin Tolstoshein.  In the view of these observers, Pulikovskiy actually aided Tolstoshein’s effort, with the ultimate objective of weakening the early favorite, Valentin Dubinin by denying the latter the use of the Kray apparat as a campaign staff.  This, in the minds of many observers, means that yet another unholy alliance has been formed, this time between Pulikovskiy and Tolstoshein, to better the chances of the Center’s failing candidate, Apanasenko.  In another ominous sign, Primorye Election Commission Chairman Sergey Knyazev reported today that government funding for the Commission’s activities had inexplicably ceased -- this despite the fact that the Duma had allocated 16 million rubles for that purpose.  Knyazev fears that if funds are withheld much longer, it could affect the ability of the Commission to hold the May 27 gubernatorial elections.

 

3.  Zyuganov’s Coming to Town

Circus, Anyone?

Meanwhile, Russian Communist Party Chief Gennadiy Zyuganov has made his definitive pronunciamento on the elections in Primorye, noting that “serious people cannot take part in such a circus.”  Following this, in a breathtaking leap of illogic, Zyuganov then announced his intention to travel to Vladivostok on May 12 to campaign for his favorite candidate, Primorye Communist Party leader Vladimir Grishukov.   This has led some wags to note that Zyuganov is coming to Primorye because he heard the circus needed another clown.

 

 

Happy Victory Day, Everyone