Roizman Inaugurated as Yekaterinburg Mayor

Yekaterinburg file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – September 24, 2013) Yevgeny Roizman was inaugurated as mayor of Yekaterinburg, just as the contest for city manager, which could well determine the influence Roizman will ultimately wield, began Tuesday.

Six candidates have entered the contest, with the winner to be selected by the Yekaterinburg City Duma, RIA Novosti reported.

Among them is current city manager Alexander Yakob, the first and only person to have held the post since it was created in 2010.

Following his victory in the Sept. 8 election, Roizman told journalists he thought Yakob was a “decent man” and did not expect anyone better to be nominated for the post.

In Yekaterinburg, the mayor is charged with maintaining relations between the government and  and representing the municipality in Russia and abroad, while the city manager handles essential administrative affairs, including the city budget.

The institution has been criticized for detracting from the influence of democratically elected mayors.

Roizman won the Sept. 8 mayoral election with 30.11 percent of the vote, largely thanks to his strong personal following and reputation as an anti-drugs crusader.

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