Vadim Potomsky tried to form a “coalition” regional government

Oryol Governor Vadim Potomsky yesterday unveiled the new structure of the regional government. The highest-ranking newcomer was the regional council deputy from the LDPR, Vitaly Uteshev, who became Deputy Prime Minister for Security. Mr. Uteshev was Vadim Potomsky's competitor in the September gubernatorial elections. Kommersant's sources say that with this appointment Mr. Potomsky fulfilled the pre-election agreements with the LDPR, but his new deputy denies this. The regional government explains the governor’s decision by creating a “coalition government.”

Vitaly Uteshev considers his appointment to the regional government a “far-sighted act” of the governor
Photo: Oleg Kharseev, Kommersant

The press service of the regional government reported that “acquaintance with the new structure” took place at its meeting yesterday. There were few changes in the leadership of the region. The most high-status newcomer was Vitaly Uteshev, Deputy Prime Minister for Security, former regional council deputy from the LDPR. Other changes took place at the departmental level: healthcare will be supervised by Pavel Surmievich, education by Tatyana Shevtsova, the department of construction, fuel and energy complex, housing and communal services, transport and road facilities will be headed by former St. Petersburg official Alexander Remiga. Vyacheslav Erokhin headed the created department of internal policy. He, according to the head of the press service of the regional government, Sergei Tyurin, was previously part of the “political bloc” as a subordinate of the relevant first vice-governor Vadim Sokolov. In total, the structure of the Oryol regional government will now consist of 10 departments and 17 directorates.

The appointment of Vitaly Uteshev in the regional government is explained by the desire to create a “coalition government” and the professionalism of the deputy himself as a “former military man.” The idea of forming a “coalition government” before the elections was actively promoted by the Communist Party of the Russian Federation. According to Vadim Potomsky, his team now includes representatives of all parliamentary parties with the exception of A Just Russia. “We will find understanding on all important issues,” the head of the region is confident. Vitaly Uteshev was the LDPR candidate in the September gubernatorial elections. He did not campaign aggressively, declaring that he "never engaged in sweeping criticism", and ended up receiving 3.74% of the vote to the communist Potomsky's 89.17%.

Several sources in the regional authorities told Kommersant yesterday that Mr. Uteshev’s appointment was part of Vadim Potomsky’s pre-election agreements with other political forces. The now former LDPR deputy himself found it difficult to tell Kommersant whether his appointment had anything to do with the elections: “Perhaps Potomsky assumed something, but I prefer to evaluate decisions based on the fact that they were made. On his part, my purpose is the correct placement of personnel and a far-sighted act.” The LDPR representative will oversee rather diverse areas: mobilization, interaction with security forces, as well as ecology and environmental management. It is worth noting that things are not going so well for other former competitors of Vadim Potomsky. For example, regional council member Vitaly Rybakov, who was removed from the elections, found himself involved in several criminal cases, and in mid-November he was fired from his position as director of the municipal OJSC Construction Products Database. Mr. Rybakov considers his problems to be political persecution by Vadim Potomsky’s team and plans a rally in his support “at the beginning of December.”

Political scientist Vladimir Slatinov believes that Mr. Potomsky “behaves competently.” “Having entered the coalition, the largest parties will be forced to support him. The absolutely technocratic, apolitical line that he will obviously begin to pursue in the near future will only contribute to this. But if in two or three years there are no significant results from Potomsky’s activities, then these same parties will attack him, remembering, for example, his “Varangian” status,” the expert believes.

Vsevolod Inyutin

Party cards under the table