ST. PETERSBURG, August 31 (Itar-Tass) — The St. Petersburg Legislative Assembly vested Georgy Poltavchenko with the powers of St. Petersburg governor on Wednesday. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev nominated his candidacy on Tuesday.
Thirty-seven deputies voted for Poltavchenko, five deputies abstained and no deputies voted against him. Poltavchenko was to gain a simple majority of 26 votes to be approved as governor.
“What happens in the city today is completely predetermined. The foundations were laid down for positive changes in the development of the St. Petersburg economy, a higher well-being of the city residents,” he said at a session of the St. Petersburg Legislative Assembly, which voted for his candidacy on Wednesday.
Before the voting at the Legislative Assembly Poltavchenko considers as the top priority “to develop the positive achievements, which were made, and to work out additional tasks, set additional ways for St. Petersburg development, the city economy, the social sector and to tap the scientific and cultural potential of the city to increase the living standards for citizens.”
An official inauguration ceremony of the newly approved governor will be held at the Mariinsky Palace on Wednesday. Under the St. Petersburg charter the governor is to swear in, after that he assumes officially the office of governor.
Georgy Poltavchenko was born on February 23, 1953 in Baku. He graduated from the Leningrad Institute of Aeronautical Instrument-Making in 1976, the High Courses of the Soviet KGB in 1980 and the St. Petersburg financial college in 1994.
In 1976-1979 he worked as an engineer of the Leninets research-and-production amalgamation, then as an instructor of the Nevsky district committee of the Leningrad Komsomol. From 1979 to 1992 he passed the military service at various operative and command posts in the security services.
In 1992-1993 he worked as the chief of the tax crime investigation department in the St. Petersburg branch of the State Tax Inspection, the chief of the St. Petersburg department of the Russian tax police.
In 1993-1999 he worked as the chief of the St. Petersburg department of the Federal Tax Police.
In 1999-2000 he worked as the presidential plenipotentiary representative in the Leningrad Region.
Since 2000 he worked as the presidential plenipotentiary representative in the Central Federal District.