Khabarovsk Governor Mikhail Degtyarev promised to support the organization of United Russia primaries

Governor of the Khabarovsk Territory Mikhail Degtyarev (LDPR) discussed with Mayor of Khabarovsk Sergei Kravchuk (United Russia) preparations for the upcoming election of the mayor on September 10 on a single day of voting. Khabarovsk is one of the five administrative centers of the constituent entities of Russia, along with Abakan (Khakassia), Anadyr (Chukotka), Ulan-Ude (Buryatia) and Yakutsk, where the mayor is elected by the direct will of the inhabitants. On November 3, 2022, Vedomosti interlocutors close to the presidential administration reported that the possibility of canceling the election of the mayor of Khabarovsk was discussed. On December 20, 2022, Degtyarev during the “direct line” announced that he was in favor of direct elections of the mayor.

At a meeting with Kravchuk, the governor stressed that “nationwide elections are our property.” “It is very important that people can express their position. The election campaign must be legal, transparent and competitive. A conscientious approach must also be observed when holding primaries from the United Russia political party, of which Sergei Kravchuk is a member,” the governor said. The regional government, he promised, would provide all-round support in organizing both the primaries and the mayoral elections themselves. So that everyone who has the opportunity to speak, do so. According to him, “the one for whom the majority of Khabarovsk citizens will vote should win.”

Deputy of the City Duma of Khabarovsk, deputy coordinator of the regional branch of the LDPR, Ivan Rybin, told Vedomosti that the party “will definitely participate in the mayoral elections.” “According to the precepts [Владимира] Zhirinovsky, we participate in all elections and will nominate a strong candidate. I think that in the near future the coordinator of the regional branch will also decide on the final candidacy [Михаил Дегтярев]”, – he said. According to Rybin, the nomination conference will take place in June. Now, the deputy specified, “all existing promising candidates who could compete for such a post are being considered.” He did not name the candidates for the nomination. Earlier, representatives of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation and A Just Russia announced plans to participate in the elections for the mayor of Khabarovsk.

Sergey Kravchuk won the mayoral election in Khabarovsk on September 9, 2018 with 39.97% of the vote. The second place was then taken by the candidate from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation Maxim Kukushkin (23.85%), the third – by the representative of the Liberal Democratic Party Sergey Bezdenezhnykh (20.86%). Since 2019, the latter has been representing the Legislative Duma of the Khabarovsk Territory in the Federation Council (SF), in 2021 he left the Liberal Democratic Party. Spravoross Nikita Mikhalev took fourth place in the 2018 mayoral elections in Khabarovsk with a score of 9.95% of the vote.

Political scientist Alexander Kynev believes that the Liberal Democratic Party has no chance of winning the election of the mayor of Khabarovsk. According to political analyst Rostislav Turovsky, the governor and his party “will support Kravchuk as part of their de facto alliance.” “If there will be competition, it will be from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation and the SR. In general, there are no big threats for Kravchuk yet, but attempts to nominate strong rivals are not ruled out. If the Liberal Democratic Party will nominate a candidate, it will be only formally and for bargaining with Kravchuk. I don’t see any point in nominating, and only risks for the mayor,” he told Vedomosti.

The regional branch of the Liberal Democratic Party is in crisis after the arrest in 2020 of the then governor of the Khabarovsk Territory, Sergei Furgal, in a criminal case of organizing two murders and attempted murder. After that, the Liberal Democratic Party left many of its supporters. On February 10, 2023, the Lyubertsy City Court sentenced Sergei Furgal to 22 years in a strict regime. He himself remains a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. Against the backdrop of an investigation and trial against the ex-governor of the Khabarovsk Territory, United Russia has strengthened its position in the region. On January 27, in the City Duma of Khabarovsk, for the first time since 2019, a faction of the ruling party was created, which included 12 deputies who were previously members of the Liberal Democratic Party.