Roman Abramovich / D. Grishkin / Vedomosti

Roman Abramovich has decided to resign early from his post as chairman of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug Duma, three people close to the district's leadership, United Russia, and the presidential administration told Vedomosti. The formal reason for this, according to one of Vedomosti's sources, was the end of the first term of office of Governor Roman Kopin, Abramovich's protégé.

The billionaire helped him get used to the role of the head of the region, but now Kopin has received a mandate from the president, who appointed him acting governor, and is running for a second term as a representative of the ruling party, notes a source for Vedomosti (the elections will be held in September), Kopin has a strong team, and Abramovich has the opportunity to step away from managing the region.

His spokesman John Man declined to comment on Abramovich's plans.

It is time for a change of elites in Chukotka politics, the source adds: Larisa Ponomareva, a representative of the district government, is leaving the Federation Council. As Ponomareva herself stated, it is time to give way to the young. Abramovich will not be a senator in her place, a person close to the district leadership is sure.

Abramovich was elected unanimously as the Chairman of the Parliament in March 2011. Before that, he was almost unanimously elected as a district deputy: 92% of the district residents voted for him. He has been heading the Parliament for the second term, since 2008, when the billionaire voluntarily left the post of governor, giving this place to Kopin. Then the Chukotka deputies asked Abramovich to head the Parliament, emphasizing that this does not require the businessman's constant presence in the district. In total, Abramovich has been in regional politics for 14 years: in 1999, he was elected as a State Duma deputy from the autonomous district.

Abramovich leaves Chukotka politics