From the Ulyanovsk mayor, the LDPR’s blood boils
The party wants to check how the competition for the Ulyanovsk mayor post is appointed. The prosecutor’s office of Ulyanovsk region will check if it was legal for the City Duma to delay announcing the competition for the mayor's position. The check was requested by Sergei Marinin, the coordinator of the regional branch of the Liberal Democratic Party. He believes that a recent amendment allowing the postponement of the mayoral selection procedure should not have retroactive effect. The City Duma planned to announce the competition for the vacant mayor position this Wednesday.
The Ulyanovsk City Duma plans to hold a competition for the position of the head of Ulyanovsk on February 22. They will also form a competitive commission with ten members, half appointed by the City Duma and half by the governor of the region. The mayor will be chosen by the City Duma deputies from the candidates selected by the competition commission.
The previous mayor, Dmitry Vavilin, resigned on November 28, 2022, stating on his Telegram channel that he had been offered a senior position in the military-industrial complex. The City Duma was supposed to start the mayoral selection procedure no later than January 28, 2023, according to the old rules. However, on January 27, the deputies amended the rules to allow a longer period for the selection. Now, according to the new rules, the competition can be scheduled no later than mid-April. The delay could be related to the fact that the main candidate for the mayor's post did not receive final approval from higher levels of government.
According to the new rules, the competition can be scheduled no later than mid-April. According to sources close to the City Duma leadership, the delay may be due to the main candidate not receiving final approval from higher levels of government.
The LDPR's regional branch coordinator, Sergei Marinin, asked the prosecutor of Ulyanovsk region to audit and take prosecutorial measures regarding the City Duma's violation of the deadline for announcing the competition for the city head position. He claimed that the decision to cancel the two-month period was made behind the scenes in violation of regulations. He demanded the cancellation of the hearing scheduled for February 21 on the announcement of the competition and the formation of the competition commission.
Sergey Marinin explained to Kommersant that the decision of the City Duma “should regulate the legal relations that have arisen again,” “but Vavilin’s resignation occurred when the previous version of the order was in effect, which means that the established new rules should not have retroactive effect.” “In any case, the adoption of retrospective regulations directly violates the rights and freedoms of the inhabitants of Ulyanovsk,” added the liberal democrat. Mr. Marinin did not explain why the forthcoming decision of the City Duma to announce the competition, if the deadlines had already passed almost a month ago, did not explain, but noted that the prosecutor’s office would need time “for a more detailed study of the circumstances.”
It was not possible to find out the position of the City Duma on this issue. Duma speaker Ilya Nozhechkin and chief of staff Oksana Karpova were not available for comment, and the press service of the City Duma did not respond to Kommersant’s request, saying that explanations would be given “within seven days.” Whether the consideration of the issues scheduled for Wednesday will now be canceled is still unknown: the Kommersant prosecutor’s office only said that “Marinin’s appeal has been received and it will be considered.”
The ex-deputy of the City Duma, member of the Public Chamber of the Ulyanovsk Region, lawyer Grigory Kalenov called the situation “quite interesting”, noting that “now, in any case, the previously silent speaker of the City Duma will have to voice his position and explain these actions.” According to Mr. Kalenov, the LDPR’s position on this issue is “quite strong” because “it is wrong to change the rules retrospectively.” Honorary lawyer of the Russian Federation Lyudmila Moroz agrees with him, noting that “the City Duma gave its position retroactive effect”, but “everything should be counted from the moment of resignation, when other rules were in effect”, so that “a certain logic in the actions and requirements of the Liberal Democratic Party in this case There is”.
