Asia-Pacific

Moscow City Duma appoints Sobyanin as new mayor

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-10-21 19:22

New Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin delivers a speech during an inauguration ceremony in Moscow, October 21, 2010. [Photo/Agencies]

MOSCOW - Moscow City Duma on Thursday officially approved Sergei Sobyanin as the new mayor for Russian capital via an extraordinary session, local media reported.

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A total of 32 members of the Moscow city parliament voted for Sobyanin's appointment, live TV broadcast showed. Two others voted against it.

The 52-year-old former deputy prime minister and head of the government secretariat was picked last Friday by President Dmitry Medvedev to replace Yuri Luzhkov who had served at the post for 18 years. Sobyanin was widely seen as a close aide of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

Before the voting, Sobyanin delivered a speech and answered member's questions.

He highly praised the current city government, but noted that a reshuffle will take place.

"I think Moscow has a good executive nucleus," he said, "but this does not mean a personnel stagnation is possible. We will work on step-by-step rotation, replacements and search for new personnel."

On Sept 28, Medvedev dismissed the then Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, citing loss of confidence.