Politicians in one of Russia’s largest cities have cancelled an upcoming election in order to oust a mayor who opposed the re-election of Vladimir Putin. On Tuesday local politicians voted overwhelmingly to cancel direct elections in Yekaterinburg, the fourth largest city in Russia, in favour of an appointee system by which Roizman is likely to be replaced with a more pliant voice. The draft law to cancel direct elections in Yekaterinburg was filed four days after Putin won re-election in a landslide victory marred by accusations of ballot-stuffing and the use of administrative resources to boost turnout. Roizman’s position as mayor is largely ceremonial, with an appointed city manager handling most administrative tasks. A Kremlin spokesman declined to comment on Tuesday on the decision to cancel the election, saying it was the regional legislature’s prerogative.

Source: The Guardian April 03, 2018 16:30 UTC