December 12, 2019, 15:18 / Politics

The governor of the Irkutsk region resigned

could lead the region Assistant to the President Anatoly Seryshev Alexandra Chunova Elena Mukhametshina Ivan Safronov

Mikhail Tereshchenko / TASS

The governor of the Irkutsk region, Sergei Levchenko, submitted his resignation, three sources close to the presidential administration told Vedomosti. According to one of them, the president may sign a decree on Levchenko’s resignation today after a meeting with the judges of the Constitutional Court. Two interlocutors noted that presidential assistant and former deputy director of the Federal Customs Service Anatoly Seryshev could be appointed acting governor of the region.

Now Levchenko is in Moscow, an interlocutor in the Communist Party of the Russian Federation told Vedomosti. In the morning he met with party leader Gennady Zyuganov.

Seryshev is the main candidate for the post of acting governor of the Irkutsk region, confirms Vedomosti’s interlocutor, close to the leadership of one of the federal ministries: his candidacy is supported by high-ranking security officials, including the Secretary of the Russian Security Council Nikolai Patrushev. It is important that Seryshev is not just a state security officer who served in the FSB Directorate for the Irkutsk Region, but a local one - he was born in the village. Koblyakovo, says Vedomosti’s interlocutor. Since June 2018, Seryshev has been assistant to the president in charge of personnel issues. He is the chairman of the Presidential Council for Cossack Affairs.

Levchenko is one of three communist governors. He won the second round of elections for governor of the Irkutsk region in 2015. Levchenko managed to beat the candidate from United Russia by 15 percentage points, gaining 56.39% of the votes. Levchenko's powers expired in 2020.

A source close to the Kremlin told Vedomosti that there could be a “couple” of personnel decisions on governors this week, including Levchenko. Another person said they could be announced this week or next. According to him, the next governor of the Arkhangelsk region, Igor Orlov, may resign.

Minchenko Consulting experts predicted in September that Levchenko could very likely leave his post during a new wave of gubernatorial resignations. Later, Vedomosti's interlocutors close to the Kremlin confirmed that his fate is in question. They also noted that the main rotation will occur in the spring of 2020, and only a couple of governors may resign at the end of November - beginning of December.

Silence before the flood

Opinions / Editorial

In summer, flooding occurred in the Irkutsk region due to heavy rains. This was the most powerful summer flood in more than a century of weather observations in the region. It led to the death of 25 people and flooded about 10,800 residential buildings, where 38,000 people lived. According to Levchenko, damage from the flood amounted to 29 billion rubles.

Putin visited the Irkutsk region several times in connection with the flood. During his visit in July, he criticized the response efforts: the region was poorly organized in informing citizens, distributing humanitarian aid, making payments, and constructing housing and infrastructure.