The three politicians enjoy major popularity in the region. According to experts, up to 60 percent of the regional electorate would be ready to vote for the trio in upcoming elections, Rusnord.ru reports.
The alliance could become a major threat to the government-loyal United Russia party in the March 2009 regional parliament elections, as well as the fall 2009 city assembly elections.
Dissidents’ alliance?
Dmitrii Taskaev recently announced that he was leaving the liberal-minded Union of Right Forces and that he was joining forces with Donskoy and Bazanova. He still remains deputy speaker in the regional parliament.
To Rusnord.ru, Mr. Taskaev says he is not ready to become a “political dissident” in Arkhangelsk. Together with Aleksandr Donskoy and Larisa Bazanova, the respected politician will however automatically turn into a serious opponent of Governor Mikhalchuk and his team.
From before, both Mr. Donskoy and Ms Bazanova can be described more or less as political outcasts in the region. While ex-city mayor Donskoy was held more than 6 months in jail and then dismissed from his post following a conflict with the regional governor, Bazanova was first declared the winner of the May 2008 city mayor elections. Only a recount of the votes — declared falsified by the opposition – secured the victory for the heavily backed Viktor Pavlenko.
Bazanova has sued the regional election commission accusing it of being politically controlled by the establishment in the region.
Political crisis
The Arkhangelsk electorate’s faith in the regional political establishment has dropped to a historical low following the numerous scandals in the region. In the May 2008 Arkhangelsk city elections, voter turnout was only 18,22 percent. The subsequent allegations of election rigging have made the voters no more supportive.
The many scandals might prepare the ground for the success of Donskoy, Bazanova and Taskaev.
After all, the electorate in Arkhangelsk Oblast has on several former occasions surprised analysts. In 2004, the government-supported former governor Yefremov lost to the unknown contender Nikolay Kiselyov. Then in 2008, came the shock results of Larisa Bazanova.
Arkhangelsk might still not have seen its last political sensation.
