Governor of Khakassia Valentin Konovalov was blamed for health problems and “dirty PR” against United Russia opponent Sergei Sokol

On Thursday, the Expert Institute for Social Research held a round table on the peculiarities of the election campaign in Siberia. Its participants agreed that the worst of all things are going to the second term of the head of Khakassia, Valentin Konovalov (KPRF), as evidenced by both sociological surveys and expert assessments. In addition, the communist was blamed for health problems and “dirty PR” against United Russia opponent Sergei Sokol. The Communist Party claims that the information campaign is being waged against Mr. Konovalov.

The round table began with a report by Larisa Pautova, Managing Director of Projects at the Public Opinion Foundation (FOM), who presented the results of a quarterly survey (May-June) on the work of Siberian governors. According to its data, the head of Tuva, Vladislav Khovalyg, received the highest ratings from the population, with whose activities 74% of respondents are satisfied, and only 11% are dissatisfied. Igor Kobzev (Irkutsk region, 71% and 14% respectively), Vladimir Mazur (Tomsk region, 67% and 12%), Andrey Travnikov (Novosibirsk region, 55% and 17%), Oleg Khorokhordin (Republic of Altai, 58% and 21%), Sergey Tsivilev (Kuzbass, 55% and 24%) and Viktor Tomenko (A the Altai Territory, 51% and 22%). But the head of Khakassia, Valentin Konovalov, fell into the “red zone”: only 28% of respondents positively assess his work, 49% negatively.

Recall that Messrs. Travnikov, Tsivilev, Tomenko and Konovalov are running for a second term this year. The first three are United Russia members appointed to these posts by the president and then elected in direct elections. The latter is a communist who in 2018 defeated the then head of the republic, Viktor Zimin, in a competitive struggle.

Ms. Pautova presented the residents’ assessments of two Siberian interim governors, Mikhail Kotyukov of Krasnoyarsk and Vitaly Khotsenko of Omsk. The first makes a rather positive impression on 38% of the respondents and rather negatively on 4%, another 58% of Krasnoyarsk residents still find it difficult to answer. The second with a plus sign is rated by 44%, with a minus sign by 5%, and 50% of Omsk residents have not yet acquired an opinion.

According to the FOM poll, Siberians want all their leaders to remain in their positions, except for Valentin Konovalov. The situation is best with Vladimir Mazur, elected last year, who is still seen as their governor by 80% of respondents. Behind him are Igor Kobzev (73%), Vladislav Khovalyg (69%), Andrei Travnikov, Viktor Tomenko, Sergei Tsivilev (60% each) and Oleg Khorokhordin (57%). Vitaly Khotsenko and Mikhail Kotyukov want to see 52% and 44% of the survey participants as leaders of the regions (taking into account the large number of undecided, Ms. Pautova made a reservation), while Valentin Konovalov – only 30%. At the same time, 55% of the inhabitants of Khakassia are waiting for a new leader, follows from a survey of the FOM.

Larisa Pautova shared her opinion about what exactly could lead to such a deplorable result for a communist. For example, the rise in prices for goods and services worries residents of the republic more than average Russians (in Khakassia, 45% of respondents say this, in Russia as a whole – 36%). A similar picture emerges with problems in the areas of healthcare (35% versus 21%) and employment (16% versus 7%).

The participants of the round table began to actively develop this topic. Thus, the head of the Khakass executive committee of the Popular Front, Ksenia Lukhman, drew attention to health problems. According to her, work within the framework of the relevant national project in the republic is carried out “for show”, and the queue for an appointment with narrow specialists, such as an ophthalmologist, can reach one year: “Naturally, people do not want to go blind, they go to private doctors.”

United Russia State Duma deputy Oleg Matveychev also did not fail to “take a ride” on Valentin Konovalov, but before that he curtsied to Sergei Tsivilev, calling him one of the best Russian governors, under whom the region turned into “one big construction site”, as well as Mikhail Kotyukov, noting his “young energy”. Mr. Konovalov Oleg Matveychev accused of “black PR”, “as if the 90s had returned to Khakassia.” The deputy was indignant that the republican TV channel RTS this year released more than 350 stories about the incumbent governor, while opponents were awarded only thirty. At the same time, Mr. Matveychev counted 50 publications of a “defamatory nature” about the nominee of United Russia, Sergei Sokol: “And after that, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation says that someone is using administrative resources there.”

The Communist Party does not agree with the claims made. As the secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation Sergey Obukhov told Kommersant, the information campaign is being conducted just in relation to Valentin Konovalov: “Khakassia is the only region in which federal television channels are conducting a black campaign against the incumbent governor and do not give him airtime.” As for affordable medicine, the communist believes that it is in “sixth or seventh place” in the list of problems of the inhabitants of Khakassia, and “pensions and salaries” are in the first place.

Andrew Ashes