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Russia's Kabardino-Balkaria Approves President, Premier


28 September 2005 -- The parliament of the Kabardino-Balkaria Republic approved on 28 September the candidacy of Arsen Kanokov as the republic's new president, newsru.com and regnum.ru reported.

President Putin proposed Kanokov the previous day to succeed Valerii Kokov, who announced on 16 September his desire to retire due to his deteriorating health.

Kanokov, a wealthy Moscow-based businessman who represented the Kabardino-Balkaria Republic in the Russian State Duma, was considered the most likely successor to Kokov.

Kanokov took the oath of office on 28 September in the presence of presidential envoy to the Southern Federal District Dmitrii Kozak, who expressed the hope that Kanokov's economic expertise will help extricate the republic from what he termed the current "difficult" economic situation.

Also on 28 September, the republican parliament unanimously approved Kanokov's choice of Gennadii Gubin to serve as prime minister. Gubin served under Kokov first as vice president and then since early 2004 as prime minister.

See also: Kabardino-Balkaria President's Premature Resignation Highlights Republic's Problems

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