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Russian emergency minister to become Moscow region's new governor

Other News Materials 5 April 2012 16:00 (UTC +04:00)
The Moscow Regional Duma approved on Thursday incumbent Emergencies Situation Minister Sergei Shoigu as the region's new governor.
Russian emergency minister to become Moscow region's new governor

The Moscow Regional Duma approved on Thursday incumbent Emergencies Situation Minister Sergei Shoigu as the region's new governor.

All 46 members of the regional parliament unanimously voted in favor of Shoigu to lead the region surrounding but excluding the capital city Moscow, Xinhua reported.

The ruling United Russia party proposed Shoigu for that post after current regional governor Boris Gromov refused to be nominated for his third term. Gromov, whose term will expire in May, has been in his office for 12 years.

Under the Russian law, a governor's candidacy is submitted to the president by a party which dominates a region's parliament. After a regional parliament approves the nomination, the president will appoint a newly elected governor.

In the Moscow Regional Duma, the United Russia party holds a majority.

Shoigu, 56, will officially move to the governor's office on May 11. He has headed the Emergency Situations Ministry since its establishment in 1994.

According to Shoigu, "at least five candidates" are likely to succeed his post in the ministry, but he didn't give the names of the hopefuls.

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