vlad.tribnet.com / Issue #610 / Special reports / Reading article...

On March 7 Vladivostok prosecutors ruled that former Vladivostok Mayor Vladimir Nikolayev must pay 13 million rubles ($541,667) in damages to the city’s budget after the court found him guilty of abuse of power. On the same day, the race for the city’s highest position was announced open.

Vladivostok has remained a year without an acting mayor after Nikolayev was arrested on charges of abuse of power in March of 2007. He stayed in jail until December of 2007 when the court found him guilty and ruled that he must reimburse the city for damages to its budget.

On March 7 the only legally owned private property of Nikolayev – a two-room apartment - was seized in order to pay the damages. It turned out that Nikolayev did not have any other property registered to him.

While Nikolayev is occupied with his legal troubles, the deputies of the Vladivostok Duma set the date of mayoral elections for May 18.

The first candidate to register for the mayoral race was Vladimir Gilgenberg, a businessman who regularly participates in local elections but has not won his desired position so far.

Other expected participants in the mayoral race are Viktor Cherepkov, Nikolai Markovtsev and Alexander Yurtaeyv who position themselves as opposing candidates.

Duma deputies Igor Chemeris, Oleg Khramov and Yuri Popov are also expected to announce their mayoral ambitions.

The federal government may also suggest its candidate to govern Vladivostok since the city is the focus of attention in connection with the APEC-2012 events.

The distinguishing features of the upcoming mayoral elections are the absence of a clear-cut frontrunner in the race and a limited amount of time for campaigning. Vladivostok residents may expect to see a list of numerous and diverse candidates when they enter the city’s polling stations.