Russia: Reappointing The Incumbents (Fact Box)

At the beginning of the year, a political reform took effect that eliminated the direct election of regional executive-branch heads and replaced them with a system under which local legislatures confirm nominees selected by the president. Since then, about one-quarter of Russia's 89 regions have gone through the process, and only three incumbents have been replaced. Below is a chronological list of President Vladimir Putin's choices through May.

4 February
Primorskii Krai
Incumbent Sergei Darkin reappointed

17 February
Tyumen Oblast
Incumbent Sergei Sobyanin reappointed

18 February
Vladimir Oblast
Incumbent Nikolai Vinogradov reappointed

22 February
Kursk Oblast
Incumbent Aleksandr Mikhailov reappointed

24 February
Amur Oblast
Incumbent Leonid Korotkov reappointed

24 February
Khanty-Mansiisk Autonomous Okrug
Incumbent Aleksandr Filipenko reappointed

25 February
Jewish Autonomous Okrug
Incumbent Nikolai Volkov reappointed

3 March
Saratov Oblast
Unified Russia activist and former Balkovo nuclear-power plant director Pavel Ipatov named to replace incumbent Dmitrii Ayatskov; Ayatskov subsequently named ambassador to Belarus

11 March
Evenk Autonomous Okrug
Incumbent Boris Zolotarev reappointed

11 March
Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug
Incumbent Yurii Neelov reappointed

25 March
Republic of Tatarstan
Incumbent Mintimer Shaimiev reappointed

30 March
Tula Oblast
Engineer Vyacheslav Dudka appointed to replace popular Communist incumbent Vasilii Starodubtsev

15 April
Koryak Autonomous Okrug
Deputy Governor Oleg Kozhemyako appointed to replace disgraced incumbent Vladimir Loginov, who was fired on 9 March by President Putin for failure to cope with his responsibilities

18 April
Chelyabinsk Oblast
Incumbent Petr Sumin reappointed

20 April
Kemerovo Oblast
Incumbent Aman Tuleev reappointed

21 April
Kostroma Oblast
Incumbent Viktor Shershunov reappointed

23 April
Orel Oblast
Incumbent Yegor Stroev reappointed

26 April
Samara Oblast
Incumbent Konstantin Titov reappointed

14 May
Penza Oblast
Incumbent Vasilii Bochkarev reappointed

28 May
Lipetsk Oblast
Incumbent Oleg Korolev reappointed

(Compiled by Robert Coalson. Sources: RFE/RL, Panorama, Moscow Carnegie Center)