Translated material
Leaders urgently needed
In the Kaliningrad region, people do not want to take leadership positions in local governments
On August 29, in the westernmost region of Russia - the Kaliningrad region - the deadline for submitting applications for the post of one of 14 local heads and 150 deputies of first-level municipalities in three districts - Gvardeysky, Zelenogradsky and Pravdinsky. Elections are due to take place on October 9. But they may not happen.So far, according to the chairman of the election commission of the Kaliningrad region, Vasily Zyubanov, in Gvardeysk, for example, there is only one candidate for the post of head of the local administration. “But you need at least two, otherwise there is no alternative. And in Znamensk there is no one at all! If the candidates still don’t show up, the elections will have to be postponed,” said the head of the regional election commission. According to him, among those who have expressed a desire to lead first-level municipalities, there are practically no people with higher education. “However, there is no need to turn up your nose. You have to choose someone. At least someone,” noted Mr. Zyubanov.
The situation in the region is strange. Regional officials were very active in implementing municipal reform, which caused so many scandals at the federal level. They “cut up” districts according to the new scheme and began holding elections. But it turned out that the local population reacted somewhat sluggishly to the proposal to “steer.” The whole point is that the new municipal government risks turning out to be too ephemeral - neither real powers, nor, what is most offensive, money. Everything is on an honest word and on a public basis.
Candidate battles are only possible for “sweet” seats. Of course, there are few of them. For example, the resort Zelenograd district remained. It was divided into three parts - the district itself (there is already a new head Valery Gubarov), the city of Zelenogradsk and a separate municipal entity “Curonian Spit”, which was formed within the framework of the national nature reserve. There is at least some activity there among the candidates for local government leaders. The truth is doubtful - criminals are trying to get into power.
Proof of this criminal activity in the field of local self-government was the brutal beating of the head of the Zelenogradsky district, Valery Gubarov, last Thursday. According to Vremya Novostei's source at the Kaliningrad Regional Internal Affairs Directorate, the investigation does not rule out a political background to the case. The beating of Mr. Gubarov took place on the eve of the elections of heads and deputies of first-level municipalities in Zelenogradsk. Having learned about what happened with Valery Gubarov, one of the main contenders for the post of head of Zelenogradsk, Oleg Shlyk (former vice-governor of the Kaliningrad region, who served six years), immediately abandoned his further participation in the election race. He believes the area is becoming too dangerous.
Ordinary people stay away from local government. “I was offered to become a deputy. But I won't go. Why? And I asked what I would do. They told me to count the trees. For free. Well, why do I need this? - asks a reasonable question Natalya Vasilyeva, a resident of one of the villages on the spit. In her opinion, it is impossible to force people into power with a “stick”. And it is the officials who are to blame for the candidate vacuum that has arisen. “They didn’t think enough,” says Ms. Vasilyeva.
The head of the regional election commission, Vasily Zyubanov, believes that in the entire regional administration he is the only one “concerned with the question of how to attract people to the elections” and “no one is helping him.” “I’ll go to the governor one of these days,” he says. - Let him at least motivate someone to vote. At the same time, I’ll stir up the parties. Because everyone is asleep!” According to Mr. Zyubanov's estimates, the cost of municipal elections is 6 million rubles. However, if due to the lack of candidates the elections have to be postponed, then this amount will increase significantly.