Deputy Sokol changes the front – Newspaper Kommersant No. 67 (7512) of 04/18/2023
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Intelligence Major Sergei Sokol on Monday announced a return to civilian life. The last six months, a State Duma deputy from United Russia (ER) spent at the front as part of the Kaskad volunteer unit, where he commanded an aerial reconnaissance crew, and is now heading to Khakassia. It was from her that Mr. Sokol was elected to parliament, and in September, as expected, he will compete for the post of head of the republic against the representative of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation and its current leader, Valentin Konovalov. Although the deputy has not yet publicly announced his nomination, Kommersant’s sources say that he should become a candidate from United Russia in the upcoming elections. In addition, Andrei Turchak, secretary of the United Russia General Council, will visit Khakassia this week, and together with Mr. Sokol, he will hold a number of public events.
“Well, my term of service is ending, I’m going to Khakassia, wait for me at home,” said Sergei Sokol, standing at the railway station in Rostov-on-Don. He posted such an announcement of his return “to civilian life” in the Telegram channel, which he started a week earlier. According to Kommersant’s information, the parliamentarian will first take a train to Moscow, and from there he will fly to Khakassia.
Sergei Sokol is one of the members of the BARS (combat army reserve of the country) “Cascade” unit, which is led by another State Duma deputy, Lieutenant Colonel Dmitry Sablin (ER). He went to the front as a volunteer on October 5 last year, signing a three-month contract with the Ministry of Defense, and signed another agreement in early January. “I am renewed for the second and I plan for the third,” he said then.
By the end of six months of service, the parliamentarian became a holder of the Order of Courage. At the front, Major Sokol, in his own words, was engaged not only in UAVs, “but also in a whole block of reconnaissance functions.” “We are giving our military very serious, valuable information that allows them to conduct military operations,” the deputy explained in a video from the Telegram channel of the Ministry of Defense dated April 11.
As previously reported by Kommersant, Sergei Sokol is the most likely candidate from United Russia in the elections for the head of Khakassia, which will be held on September 10. So far, he has not announced this publicly, but two Kommersant sources close to the leadership of the ruling party claim that this particular scenario should be implemented.
Formally, the party still has enough time to make this decision. Its gubernatorial candidates do not participate in the regular primaries, but go through them according to a special procedure, when the applicant receives the support of the primary branches of the United Russia. This usually happens in May-June, and the current heads of regions receive approval. Sergei Sokol will be the first candidate from the ruling party in the last ten years to run for elections from a different position.
Deputy Secretary of the United Russia General Council Sergei Perminov, in a conversation with Kommersant, said that the party will apply the same procedure in the Khakass campaign as it does with all its other candidates for gubernatorial posts. “In relation to them, the procedure for preliminary voting and support for the nomination by the regional branches of the party is being implemented, which is organized and carried out on time, after a political decision is made to nominate a candidate for the position of head of the region,” United Russia explained.
According to the Khakass regional branch of the United Russia, the procedure involves meetings with more than half of the primary branches, as well as voting at the conference. We also note that, according to Kommersant’s information, Andrey Turchak, secretary of the United Russia General Council, plans to visit Khakassia on April 20 as part of his tour of several Siberian regions. It is assumed that he will hold a number of public events with Mr. Sokol.
Meanwhile, Valentin Konovalov, who expects to keep his post, is also increasing his public activity. According to his own calculations, last year the communist held about 200 meetings with the inhabitants of the republic, “at which many problems were resolved,” and continues to withstand the high pace of working trips around the region in 2023. The governor has already held meetings with residents of more than three dozen villages, villages and aals (a traditional settlement of the Khakass). As a rule, members of the republican government, heads of municipalities and settlements, who also answer questions from residents, participate in such events.
In addition, thematic live broadcasts of Valentin Konovalov with the participation of relevant ministers and heads of other structures of the executive branch of power, which are broadcast on his Telegram channel, have recently become a tradition. During them, residents of the republic can ask questions that interest them.
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