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Samara region legislature vests Merkushkin with powers of governor

Vladimir Artyakov, who had headed the region since 2007, filed resignation on his own volition on May 10

SAMARA, May 12 (Itar-Tass) —— The Samara regional Duma vested Nikolai Merkushkin with the powers of governor in the Samara Region at its extraordinary meeting on Saturday.

Forty deputies voted for Merkushkin, three abstained and seven deputies voted against him.

The inauguration ceremony of the governor is held at 15:00 Moscow time on Saturday, a source in the staff of the regional Duma said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin nominated Nikolai Merkushkin as a candidate for governor in the Samara regional Duma.

Vladimir Artyakov, who had headed the region since 2007, filed resignation on his own volition on May 10. Merkushkin, who was dismissed from the post of Mordovia’s head under the Russian presidential decree, was appointed as acting governor.

Nikolai Merkushkin was born on February 5, 1951, in the village Novye Verkhissy in the Insarsky district of the Autonomous Soviet Republic of Mordovia. In 1973 he graduated from the Ogarev Mordovia State University with the diploma of engineer of electronic equipment. He is an academician of the International Academy of Informatization.

January-September 1995 – the chairman of the State Assembly of the Republic of Mordovia.

Since September 1995 – the Constitutional Assembly of the republic elected Merkushkin head of the Republic of Mordovia (he was re-elected at general elections in 1998 and 2003). On November 10, 2005 and October 7, 2010 the State Assembly of Mordovia approved Merkushkin as head of the republic for a new term.

He is awarded with the Order of the Labour Red Banner, the Order of Friendship of Peoples, the Third and Fourth Degree Order of Merit to the Fatherland.

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