YAKOVLEV WILL NOT RUN FOR A THIRD TERM

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YAKOVLEV WILL NOT RUN FOR A THIRD TERM

Trud, April 4, 2003, EV

Governor Vladimir Yakovlev of St. Petersburg has announced that he will not be seeking a third term in office. He pointed out that he “had the opportunity to make the changes in the city’s charter which would allow him to run for a third term”, but “did not choose this as a goal”.

Yakovlev said: “In order for democratic changes to continue in St. Petersburg, it should be acknowledged that if a law exists then it ought to be observed, no matter how flawed it may be.”

Yakovlev emphasized that he had decided against seeking a third term as far back as 2000, when he was re-elected for his second term. “But I didn’t want to pour cold water on my team’s enthusiasm, especially with big events like the city’s tercentenary coming up.”

Yakovlev said: “Now we need to prepare the ground for the person who will replace me, ensuring a democratic transition of power.”

However, he said he has no intention of quitting politics. “I don’t think I could leave politics entirely,” said Yakovlev, while noting that he had not yet considered or discussed any specific plans for his future employment.

The next election for governor of St. Petersburg is scheduled for 2004.

CONFIDENCE RATING

Trud, April 4, 2003, EV

The Public Opinion Foundation has done another poll aimed at finding out the extent to which citizens trust politicians. As elections approach, such polls are becoming more and more relevant and in demand. The results of this poll were as follows.

President Vladimir Putin is the undisputed leader in the confidence ranking, with 46% of respondents saying they approve of his performance.

Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov ranks second, with 19% of respondents saying they trust him.

Next is Emergencies Minister Sergei Shoigu; 16% of respondents in this poll say they trust him.

Fourth place is shared by two party leaders: Grigory Yavlinsky of Yabloko and Vladimir Zhirinovsky of the LDPR, each with a confidence rating of 8%.

Yevgeny Primakov, head of the Chamber of Commerce and Trade, ranks fifth; 6% of respondents say they trust him.

Next is Governor Aman Tuleev of the Kemerovo region, with a confidence rating higher than that of any other regional leader: 5% of respondents say they trust him.

He is followed by Prime Minister Mikhail Kasianov, trusted by 4% of respondents.

Some respondents (27%) said they didn’t trust any politicians, while 11% named politicians other than those mentioned above.

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