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Decision on snap mayoral elections in Moscow was unexpected for ex-mayor Luzhkov

Asked whether he’s going to vote or run in the mayoral elections in Moscow, Luzhkov replied that he would certainly cast his vote

MOSCOW, June 4 (Itar-Tass) - A decision to hold snap mayoral elections in Moscow was unexpected for ex-Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov.

"A decision to hold snap elections was unexpected for me. It signals some trends which the authorities want to compensate by announcing early elections,” the former mayor told the Dozhd (Rain) television channel on Tuesday.

"The decision has been made in great hurry and looks quite rapid-fire. It is politically motivated…As a rule, such situations arise either in the face of looming danger or, on the contrary, the afflux of authority of certain government bodies that want to continue running a country, a region, etc,” Luzhkov emphasized.

He said that mayor’s elections were always significant for any country and wished that the mayoral elections in Moscow would be honest.

"However, everything will depend on who is going to nominate their candidacies under the current circumstances,” the ex-mayor said.

Asked whether he’s going to vote or run in the mayoral elections in Moscow, Luzhkov replied that he would certainly cast his vote. He asked the Dozhd television channel to leave the question of his nomination as candidate for further consultations so that he could be free to make any decision.

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FACTBOX: Collective Security Treaty Organization

The Collective Security Treaty came into force on April 20, 1994 to herald the emergence what would eventually become the Collective Security Treaty Organization. The six member-countries are Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan

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