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Two candidates drop out of Khimki mayoral election race

Khimki is holding an early election after mayor Vladimir Strelchenko stepped down in early August

MOSCOW, October 9 (Itar-Tass) — Two candidates for the post of mayor of Khimki, a town in Moscow Region, have dropped out of the election race.

A Just Russia candidate Alexander Romanovich told Itar-Tass he had forwarded his statement to the election commission. Romanovich explained the move by the decision by the Bureau of the regional branch of the Party, which reviewed the situation earlier on Tuesday.

"It was a Party's decision," he said, stressing that "it is not related to any coalitions or unions in favor or one of the candidates." It is related to the opinion regarding the Party's real position in the Moscow region.

"We have similar difficulties in Voskresensk and Pushkino," the outgoing candidate acknowledged.

For his part, member of the Khimki election commission with deliberative vote Vladislav Naganov told Itar-Tass that Yuri Babak had withdrawn his candidacy in favor of acting mayor, candidate Oleg Shakhov.

"We were not surprised; it was clear from the beginning that Yuri Babak was "a technical candidate," Naganov said.

Babak is presented on the TIK Khimki website as chairman of the Russian Towns Party.

Khimki is holding an early election after mayor Vladimir Strelchenko stepped down in early August. First deputy governor of the Tula region Shakhov was appointed acting Khimki mayor. After Babak and Romanovich's quitting the race, there remain 14 persons on the list of the mayoral candidates.