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Ruslan Tsalikov to be Moscow region governor until election

In accordance with the law, the election date should be on Single Voting Day, on September 8, 2013
Photo ITAR-TASS
Photo ITAR-TASS

MOSCOW, November 6 (Itar-Tass) — Ruslan Tsalikov has been appointed acting governor of the Moscow region, said Marina Kitayeva, an aide to the Moscow region governor.

The election of the new governor will take place on September 8, 2013, chairman of the Central Election Commission Nikolai Konkin told Itar-Tass on Tuesday.

"In accordance with the law, the election date should be on Single Voting Day, on September 8, 2013," Konkin explained, "the law states that the region is to be governed by acting head before the election."

Head of the Moscow regional election commission Irek Vildanov confirmed that the gubernatorial election in the Moscow region might take place on Single Voting Day, in September 2013. "The election is announced by the regional parliament; it will take place in September if it does not decide otherwise," Vildanov told Tass adding that the regional law on gubernatorial election was approved on the basis of the federal law.

Single Voting Day is held on the second Sunday of September, according to the recent amendments to the legislation. Central Election Commission chairman Vladimir Churov earlier said gubernatorial elections might take place at least in eight provinces on September 8.

Earlier in the day, President Vladimir Putin fired Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov and appointed Sergei Shoigu the new defense minister.

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the acting governor might run in the gubernatorial election.

"Hopefully, the new governor, to be elected in a year, will be able to get the work going," Putin said at a meeting with Shoigu.