NOVOSIBIRSK, March 28. /ITAR-TASS/. Representatives of opposition forces on Friday decided to withdraw from Novosibirsk mayoral elections in favor of Anatoly Lokot, a State Duma deputy from the Communist Party.

The decision was taken during a meeting of Lokot, Ilya Ponomaryov (who is a candidate from the party Alliance of Greens and Social Democrats), former Russian deputy economics minister Ivan Starikov (Civil Initiative), leader of the regional organization of the Patriots of Russia party Alexander Mukharytsin, Alexei Yuzhanin (the Party of Spiritual Transformation of Russia) and Roman Starikov (Communists of Russia).

"Ivan Starikov confirmed his readiness to withdraw in favor of Lokot. I also confirm my readiness to abide by the agreement on a single candidate, but I believe that aside from the structure of the mayor's office, there should be a common program. Along with uniting around one candidate, we turn over our organizational resources, observers, mobile reception rooms and etc. to him," Ponomaryov blogged during the meeting. Yuzhanin, Mukharytsin and Roman Starikov we also ready to follow the agreement, he added.

Opposition activists and members of public organizations on January 20 signed an agreement on joint coordination of activities to participate in the Novosibirsk mayoral elections planned for April 6. They announced they would decide who would be their single candidate a week before the elections and withdraw their candidacies in his favor.