Dozens of Russian Officials have Turned Putin Down when He has asked Them to Serve as Heads of Federal Subjects, Russian Political Scientist Says

Paul Goble

            Staunton, Oct. 28 – Many assume that if Putin proposes someone agree to take the job that he offers, that is something no one can refuse. But in fact, Vitaly Ivanov says, “dozens of people” have turned down Putin’s suggestions that they serve as heads of this or that federation subject.

            That unexpected reality, the Russian political scientist says, has been highlighted by the fact that the position of governor of Tver Oblast has now been vacant for a month after his predecessor was elevated. Various officials have been offered the job and have turned Putin down given the region’s poverty (club-rf.ru/69/detail/7803).

            In the case of Tver and other oblasts, Ivanov continues, “some have refused on principle, others have refused because of the regions involved, some had assumed they would be offered a more interesting region, and some expected to be appointed to a higher post.” And a few even made their decision on the basis of how far the region is from Moscow.

            Filling the Tver post is especially hard, even though it is close enough to the Russian capital, the political scientist says, because it is poor and because plans for a high-speed highway through it have run into difficulties. Consequently, the post may remain vacant for some time to come.

            That senior officials are turning Putin down speaks volumes about their political calculation concerning Putin’s future and their own. If they believed that he was going to be around forever, they would be less likely to tell him “no” regardless of the reasons they might have for not wanting a particular post.