He should head the city branch of A Just Russia

The council of the Samara regional branch of A Just Russia recommended the chairman of the control and audit commission of the regional organization, Yuri Eremenko, for the post of head of the city branch in Samara. He himself does not comment on his election, but the party explains his choice with Mr. Eremenko’s extensive experience in the field of party building. Observers talk about maintaining a noticeable influence on the regional branch of the party of the ex-mayor of Samara Viktor Tarkhov and predict his nomination from the party in the elections to the provincial Duma.

The leadership of the Samara regional branch of A Just Russia proposed the head of the control and audit commission, Yuri Eremenko, to the post of head of the city party organization in Samara.

This decision was preceded by an active struggle for control over the party organization. We would like to remind you that after the ex-mayor of Samara Viktor Tarkhov was removed from the post of chairman of the regional branch of A Just Russia at the end of last year, acting. O. The secretary of the council bureau, Alexander Kolychev, was appointed head, and a series of scandals occurred in the party.

On February 1, the bureau of the regional council suspended the powers of the council of the Samara city branch of the party (it was considered controlled by the former vice-mayor of Samara Sergei Arsentiev) and its chairman Alexander Burnaev for allegedly making mistakes during the autumn election campaign in Samara. Seven of the 13 members of the regional bureau council tried to challenge this decision. On February 26 (by this time Mr. Kolychev was recommended for the position of chairman of the regional department), at a meeting of the council of the regional department, ex-city Duma deputy Alexander Belashev proposed considering the issue of recognizing the decision of February 1 as illegitimate. However, the initiative did not find support among the majority of those present. After this, about a dozen Right Russia members, under the leadership of Mr. Arsentyev, staged a demarche, and the remaining ones expelled in absentia from the bureau of the regional council Messrs. Arsentyev, Belashev and Burnaev, as well as the former party lawyer Sergei Tuchin. The next day they announced their voluntary resignation from the party.

As Aleksey Ofitserov, a member of the council of the regional branch of A Just Russia, said, initially at a meeting on March 16, three candidates for the post of head of the party’s city branch were considered. “Gennady Zvyagin (member of the bureau council. - Kommersant) proposed the candidacy of Boris Toporov (member of the bureau council. - Kommersant), and he proposed the candidacy of Elena Shirnina (Ms. Shirnina works as deputy head of the public relations department at Gazprom-Transgaz OJSC -Samara", she is associated with the Gazprom lobby - Kommersant). However, she recused herself,” said Mr. Ofitserov. “As a result, they voted for Eremenko and Toporov in turn.” According to the interlocutor, Alexander Kolychev actively supported the candidacy of Yuri Eremenko. Press secretary of the regional branch of A Just Russia, Andrei Imukov, explained the choice of the council by saying that Mr. Eremenko is “an experienced professional in the field of party building.”

According to Mr. Ofitserov, the election of Mr. Eremenko to the post of head of the city department will retain control over the regional party organization of Viktor Tarkhov. “In my opinion, this is also good for the party, because the Tarkhov-Kolychev group is in opposition to provincial politics,” says Alexey Ofitserov. Yuri Eremenko himself did not comment on his election yesterday. Alexander Belashev is not surprised by the choice of candidate. “Alexander Kolychev is adapting the structure to suit himself,” says the former party member. — Eremenko worked for a long time as Kolychev’s assistant in the Gubernia Duma. Naturally, he will feel more comfortable relying on a supporter who, in addition, understands party building.”

The powers of Yuri Eremenko must be confirmed at the city conference on March 19. At the same time, delegates will be elected to the regional conference, scheduled for March 26. The chairman of the regional branch will be elected. “The leadership of the regional branch believes that March 19 will pass quietly,” a source in the party told Kommersant. “Although, of course, we cannot exclude any excesses at the instigation of a group of people who left the party.” However, Alexander Belashev said yesterday that he “wrote a letter of resignation without any afterword.”

“Viktor Tarkhov’s influence on the regional department has remained, although, of course, not as much as before. Apparently, this happened due to a certain personnel shortage in the party, due to which it has to stew in its own juice. It is possible that he will run for the party in the elections to the Gubernia Duma,” Yuri Eyrikh, director of the consulting center “Social Dynamics and Information,” assessed the situation. Kommersant’s source in the leadership of the regional branch of the party also reported that Mr. Tarkhov could go to the polls. “But most likely he will go through the district, and not through the lists,” the party member noted. — Viktor Tarkhov is full of fuse. But the issue of his nomination is not related to what is happening in the party now.”

Maria Gutorova

Yuri Eremenko changed the device