Main topics of the last week in Kurgan Region are strategy 2020, law against corruption, city-manager competition, and legislative initiatives regarding sales of alcohol. Read detailed overview of the events at UralPolit.Ru.
Main topics of the last week in Kurgan Region are strategy 2020, law against corruption, city-manager competition, and legislative initiatives regarding sales of alcohol. Read detailed overview of the events at UralPolit.Ru.
Kurgan Region prepares to work on a strategy of region’s development until 2020. Region’s Governor Oleg Bogomolov went to Chelyabinsk on June 23 and brought a delegation of state officials with him. They attended Civilian’s Forum of Ural Federal District and Ural’s congress of the United Russia. Senator Oleg Panteleev and speaker of parliament Marat Islamov were the Party’s representatives from Kurgan Region. Other members of delegation included public leaders, scientists, businessmen, teachers and culture professionals.
On Tuesday Kurgan’s Regional Duma established the plan of making and fulfilling the strategy for social and economic development of the region untill 2020. Fractions, deputy groups and youth public chamber were invited to make suggestions to Strategy-2020.
Rural territories development, raising the quality of life, attracting investors into geological research and raising efficiency of natural resources potential usage were identified as leading strategic directions.
For 2008 it is planned to develop a program of reconstruction of railway stations, inviting Russian people from abroad back into the Region, and tourism facilities enhancement.
Oleg Bogomolov held a consultation council with leaders from all political parties and invited them to unite together and lobby Strategy-2020 to get federal support.
While the Ministry of Regional Development of Russia sees Kurgan area as an agricultural territory, Mr. Bogomolov disagrees. Governor points out that such industries as machine building, timber, transport and logistic, borderline geographical position should also be in focus of the federal program. 45% of Kurgan Region’s population live in rural areas and require special support from the budget. These were topics of discussion between Oleg Bogomolov and Boris Gryzlov on June 23. The Governor hopes, DmitryKozak changes his viewpoint.
“If the region is offered to participate in federal programs with only 20% financial support from the federal budget, while 80% - from the regional, we are not going to participate in such programs”, the governor stated.
Kurgan Region gets ready to new relations with the federal center. Budget support of investment programs was reviewed. Elena Perminova, deputy governor, reported that all construction object financed from the budget would be therefore inspected and re-evaluated.
Kurgan’s waiting for a city-manager
Kurgan’s city-manager competition is regulated by law and city charter’s requirements. Regional authorities sent three candidates who were approved by the deputies to become competition commission members (Valery Mironov, deputy governor, Larisa Galchenko, deputy head of Duma’s administration, and Valery Lysakov, head of the Duma’s legal service). United Russia also picked out three candidates, but their appointment will be confirmed or not confirmed on July 2. Head of the City is also expected to present three candidates.
Prosecution’s accusations against the former city-manager’s team, Aleksandr Yakushev, Mikhail Dubanich and Vladimir Khoroshaev, were hushed down by the refusal of deputies to form a working group to investigate the case. As Vyacheslav Tyazhelnikov commented to UralPolit.Ru, deputies would leave decision to court and would not form a working group as it may be seen as form of pressure on the judges.
Kurgan’s Duma will announce competition for the position of the city-manager supposedly on July 2. The new candidate should be appointed on August 14. City Charter requires choosing a temporal city-manager until the competition ends. “I take it very calm, this work is now being done by Yakushev, just let him work”, deputy chairman of Duma says.
Law against corruption
Kurgan region’s parliament passed the draft of “Preventing corruption in Kurgan Region Act” in the first reading. The draft was developed and suggested to the Duma by Valery Machinsky, the prosecutor. List of prevention measures includes development of anti-corruption programs, corruption monitoring, anti-corruption expertise of laws and acts being passed, increasing public awareness of the problem and measures taken through mass media. Anti-corruption expertise is to be conducted under Governor’s decision. 29 out of 30 deputies voted for the Act. Now the draft should go to the regional government and legal department of the Ministry of Justice before it has the second reading.
Regional parliament suggested another initiative to the State Duma of Russia. Kurgan’s politicians proposed to cancel selling alcohol to citizens until they reach 21, also to reject propaganda of drinking wine, beer and vodka (as Scandinavian countries did), enclose beer to the list of alcohol drinks, prohibit any advertisement of alcohol and reinforce penalties for breaking alcohol laws (as the USA did).