Regional elections: incumbents prevail over newcomers

Incumbent governor Viktor Shershunov has won elections in the central Kostroma Region while incumbent Alexei Lebed proved winner in the Republic of Khakasia in Siberia. In the Volgograd Region, communist Nokolai Maksyuita has confidently retained his positions. About the same holds true for the Chelyabinsk Region in Urals where incumbent governor Petr Sumin has won. But those were only four out of seven who retained their positions after yesterday’s gubernatorial elections. In the Voronezh Region, the central Russia, General Vladimir Kulakov, the incumbent local secret police chief, gained a victory having confidently overtaken the incumbent governor Ivan Shabanov. Businessman Roman Abramovich won a sweeping victory in Russia’s north-easternmost autonomous region of Chukotka gaining 91% of votes.