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Amur region prioritizes solution to social problems

United Russia party (URP) candidate, Kozhemyako won Sunday's gubernatorial elections with a wide margin
Photo ITAR-TASS
Photo ITAR-TASS

KHABAROVSK, October 15 (Itar-Tass) — "A solution to social problems will be among the main priorities of our policy," said Amur Region Governor Oleg Kozhemyako, who has been re-elected to the position.

United Russia party (URP) candidate, Kozhemyako won Sunday's gubernatorial elections with a wide margin. According to the preliminary data of the regional electoral commission, Kozhemyako polled 77.28 percent of the vote.

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, leader of the URP, congratulated Kozhemyako on the convincing win. During Sunday's video conference with the regions on the results of the common polling day at the URP Central Executive Committee, the party leader pointed out that the election of Amur Region Governor was held according to new rules and with a good result.

"We congratulate you. In point of fact you ttiumphed with a very good, convincing result," Medvedev said.

In reply, Kozhemyako, who had bern nominated to run by the URP, promised that he would not let URP down.

"It is now important to maintain the course that was set and develop the territory," the Premier told him.

Communist Roman Kobyzov polled 9.99 percent of the vote; LDPR candidate Ivan Abramov -- 8.12 percent, and the nominee from "A Just Russia" party, gained 2.56 percent of the vote.

Kozhemyalo thanked the people in the region for trust placed in him. "I thank all those who cast their votes for in favour of the policy which we have beend pursuing all together, resolving most complex economic and social problems, including those that are acute for the region: the consruction of housing and kindergartens," the re-elected Govetnor said.

"We shall strive for poditive changes so that the region would constantly make headway. The tasks for us in the coming years are not easy. They include the launchings of space rockets from the Vostochny (eastern) spaceport, the finalization of the construction of the Nizhne-Bureiskaya hydropower station in the lower reaches of the Bureya River, the building of housing, an increase in wages for the budget-supported sector workers, and a rise in the living standards for all inhabitants of the region," the Governor emphasized.

The Governor has been holding the position since 2008.

Apart from the gubernatorial elections, the region held 112 campaigns for election to local self-government bodies. The electorate supported URP representatives.

Nikolai Nevedomsky, chairman of the regional electoral commission, told Itar-Tass on Monday, "URP member Stanislav Melyukov has been elected as head of the city of Belogorsk. Melyukov polled 80.2 percent of the vote. URP representatives won with a wide margin from competitors at the election of heads of administrations of the city of Skovorodino, the Oktyabrsky and Shimanovsky Districts".

Voter turnout at the elections in Amur Region was 36.79 percent, with 239,601 voters participating in the polling.