NOVOSIBIRSK, February 05. /ITAR-TASS/. Acting Novosibirsk Mayor Vladimir Znatkov has won all the eight stages of in-party voting and has been officially announced the ruling party's candidate for city mayoral election.
In the final voting, Znatkov bested his rival - director general of the Region private company Sergei Kapishnikov - netting 159 of 173 votes.
Taking part in the primaries aside from Znatkov and Kapishnikov were chief doctor of Novosibirsk infectious disease hospital #1 Larisa Pozdnyakova and City Council deputy, director of secondary school #6 Irina Putintseva.
"Znatkov gathered a total of 3,521 votes," Secretary of United Russia's Novosibirsk branch Alexander Morozov announced. In all, the voting during the eight stages involved 4,500 party members.
"Whoever claims in media that primaries are a toy form, [they are wrong]. They [primaries] might actually reflect difficult solutions. What happened on the eight platforms of Novosibirsk is really serious competition. It is important that our city has all the opportunities to follow up the positive development trend achieved in the past few years," Novosibirsk region governor Vasily Yurchenko told a news conference which summed up the voting results.
Novosibirsk will have a one-round mayoral election on April 6. There are 17 candidates, including 14 self-nominees. Among those who have already submitted the documents to the election commission are three political parties' representatives: former Deputy Minister of Economy Ivan Starikov from Civil Initiative, member of the Social Protection Party Anastasia Zharkova and representative of Russia's Patriots Alexander Mukharytsin.
The Communist Party, Just Russia, the Liberal Democratic Party and Rodina have already approved their candidates to run for Novosibirsk Mayor.