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Kirov region parliament cancels governor no-confidence vote

Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov earlier stated that firing Belykh was not under consideration
Photo ITAR-TASS
Photo ITAR-TASS

MOSCOW, February 6 (Itar-Tass) - Speaker of the Kirov region legislative assembly Alexei Ivonin canceled the decision to call an extraordinary meeting on February 14 over no confidence vote in incumbent governor Nikita Belykh, the local parliament's press center reported citing Ivonin.

The speaker said deputies had asked him to convene an extraordinary meeting and put the no confidence vote on the agenda.

"My position on governor Belykh's work is understandable; it was voiced by regional residents and in my statements to law-enforcement bodies," Ivonin said.

However, "during coordination of the issue with the Party's federal leadership, they pointed out at the untimeliness of such a decision," the speaker said.

"In this connection, as a loyal and consistent member of the United Russia Party, and pursuant to senior Party leadership’s instruction, I canceled the extraordinary meeting pending special decision by the Party's collective bodies," he added.

Earlier, a group of regional legislators demanded a vote of no-confidence in Belykh. In a statement on the regional parliament's website, they explained their initiative by the situation that had developed in the province, "the population's plunging trust in the governor which shows a management crisis, unprofessionalism, and the inability to organize the work of the executive bodies, take measures towards developing the region and raise the standard of living of local residents."

Deputy Valery Krepostnov /United Russia/, who co-authored the initiative, said it had been supported by representatives of the Liberal Democratic Party and the Communist Party. Meanwhile, the Kirov branch of United Russia stated that "the initiative comes from an individual and does not express the opinion of the Party's executive committee." Secretary of United Russia's General Council Sergei Neverov confirmed that the issue would not be put up on the Party's regional or federal agendas.

Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov earlier stated that firing Belykh was not under consideration.

Belykh had been questioned by the Investigative Committee as a witness in the criminal cases over the theft of funds of the Union of Right Wing Forces and squandering of shares of the Urzhum distillery.