VZCZCXRO8653
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHYG
DE RUEHVK #0125/01 3040227
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 300227Z OCT 08
FM AMCONSUL VLADIVOSTOK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1036
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHVK/AMCONSUL VLADIVOSTOK 1133

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 VLADIVOSTOK 000125 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV ECON RS
SUBJECT: CAN A NEW MAYOR WITH FEW ALLIES AT LEAST FIX THE ROADS? 
 
VLADIVOSTO 00000125  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  Igor Pushkaryov took over as Vladivostok mayor on May 20. 
The new mayor seems to have few allies -- he avoids media 
attention and the public, has set up an administration of 
outsiders, and appears headed for a major conflict with Primorye 
Kray Governor Darkin.  With campaign promises unfulfilled and a 
much-needed road repair project foundering, Pushkaryov's stay at 
city hall not been as successful as Vladivostok residents had 
hoped.  Below is an outline of first five months of Vladivostok 
Mayor Igor Pushkaryov's tenure. 
 
Staff:  Mostly Out-of-Towners 
----------------------------- 
 
¶2.  Pushkaryov's first move upon taking office was to expand his 
team from eight to eleven deputies and to dismiss virtually all 
managers and specialists from the previous city administration. 
Most of the new personnel consists of friends and colleagues 
from Spassk-Dalniy, 230 kilometers west of Vladivostok, where he 
worked earlier as the director of a cement plant.  Local 
political analysts have noted that because Pushkaryov's team has 
no connection to Vladivostok business and political elite, 
working with the Vladivostok City Duma and Primorye government 
may prove difficult. 
 
Major Problem: Roads 
-------------------- 
 
¶3.  Pushkaryov has already received public criticism for his 
handling of one of the most important issues for Vladivostok 
residents -- annual road renovations.  Though the city tripled 
the budget for road improvements to one billion rubles for 2008, 
road work has barely begun.  With only one third of the roads 
slated for repair currently undergoing work, there is no way for 
the annual project -- which must start in Spring to assure 
completion before the Winter freeze -- will be completed this 
fiscal year.    Pushkaryov has countered criticism by asserting 
that delays were caused by bureaucratic hold ups, not 
administration mismanagement. 
 
Campaign Promises:  Still Working on Those... 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  One of Pushkaryov's most popular campaign promises was to 
construct 50 new kindergartens and to renovate existing 
facilities.  After five months, however, renovation has begun on 
only one kindergarten, and no plans for new kindergarten 
construction have been announced. 
 
¶5.  Upon taking office, the new mayor announced that the 
previous administration left a city debt of just over 1 billion 
rubles (USD 40 million), presumably mostly made by lower-level 
administration members while former Mayor Vladimir Nikolayev was 
concentrating on defending himself against various criminal 
charges.  Some of the debt consists of unpaid back wages for 
city employees.  Pushkaryov says that his administration has 
already repaid one third of the debt. 
 
Major Goal: Regional Status for the City 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  One way to help to improve the city's financial situation 
would be to keep more of the tax revenue it generates. 
Vladivostok provides about 70 percent of the taxes collected in 
the region, but keeps very little.  Under the existing 
revenue-sharing arrangement, Vladivostok sends 51 percent of its 
revenues to the Kray and 38 percent to Moscow, leaving only 11 
percent for the municipality. 
 
¶7.  Pushkaryov has stated his goal to change this situation by 
having the city, the largest and oldest in the region, 
officially designated as Kray capital.  According to federal 
law, this designation would allow the city to reduce the amount 
it sends to Moscow by 10 percentage points.  Former Mayor 
Vladimir Nikolayev had pushed for such a measure several times 
but failed.  In 2005, the Primorye Duma passed a resolution 
allowing the designation, but Governor Darkin -- presumably 
worried that increased funds for Vladivostok would give the Kray 
less influence over the city -- quickly vetoed the bill.  Darkin 
-- who, as governor of the Kray, has the authority to direct all 
tax revenue collected in the region -- continues to tighten 
financial control over the city.  In 2000, he allowed the city 
to keep 39 percent of its own revenues, but by 2007 lowered the 
amount to 11 percent. 
 
Public Personality:  Not Much Face Time 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶8.  Pushkaryov does not seek the limelight, and seems 
uncomfortable in front of the public and the media.  He does not 
meet with journalists often -- he tends to rely on written press 
releases instead -- and rarely attends protocol events.  He has 
a much lower public profile than his predecessor Vladimir 
Nikolayev, who often met with city residents to discuss local 
 
VLADIVOSTO 00000125  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
issues and frequently attended public and social events. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶9.  It is hard to imagine a successful tenure for a new mayor 
with virtually no allies.  Pushkaryov spends little time with 
the public, is unfriendly to the media, and has brought a team 
of unknown outsiders to the city.  Furthermore, he appears to be 
heading into a fight with Governor Darkin over city status that 
he likely to lose.  The people of Vladivostok have low 
expectations for their mayors, but Pushkaryov has already left 
them underwhelmed.  Renovating the city's crumbling roads would 
have gone a long way with city residents, but the new mayor's 
mishandling of this year's project has not only left doubts 
about his management skills, but also leaves many wondering why 
increased funding has led to fewer new roads.  Furthermore, most 
of the construction for APEC will take place during his tenure, 
and any problems with that project will likely fall square on 
his shoulders. 
GERSTEN