The rating, which measures successes of the regional governments in 2009, places Murmansk Oblast as number 72 and Arkhangelsk Oblast as number 81 of a total of 83 regions.
A spokesman for the Murmansk administration says to Regnum that the bad score of the region in linked with a higher level of inefficient spending. He also confirms that the region in 2009 spent 26,9 percent more on salaries to regional officials compared with in 2007. That hike in salaries came amid a 24 percent cut in the number of regional officials, Regnum reports.
In Arkhangelsk, the situation is even more serious. The rating ranks the region as number 81 of 83 federal subjects. Coupled with several serious corruption cases in upper echelons of regional power and a general discontent with the regional leaders, the rating might be what leads to a political change in the region.
That is at least the hope of the regional opposition parties. Both the Communists, the Liberal Democrats and the A Just Russia Party are working actively for the resignation of Governor Ilya Mikhalchuk, whom they accuse of mismanagement, corruption and of bad staff policy, newspaper Kommersant reports.
The regional parliament this week turned down the opposition parties’ proposal to send a letter to President Medvedev with a request to dismiss Governor Mikhalchuk. However, even without the support of the parliament, the parties intend to send a letter both to the President and his representative in Northwest Russia Ilya Klebanov.
