By Anna Pushkarskaya, Kommersant, Video NikaNewsPTZ, 11.09.2013

Galina Shirshina elected Mayor of Petrozavodsk, the capital of Karelia, with the support of the YABLOKO party canceled her inauguration scheduled last week onto September 12 by the administration of Nikolai Levin, the former head of the city and member of the [ruling] United Russia party.

The ceremony envisaged the swearing-in of the mayor and the laying on a silver chain. “This is not a legal act,” explained Mrs. Shirshina to Kommersant also informing the paper that she was taking the office that day already. The team of the new mayor supported her decision not to distract the officials invited to the ceremony from their work and not to spend money on the preparation of the event, including a reception, Emilia Slabunova, deputy from the YABLOKO faction in the Karelian parliament and author of electoral programme for Mrs. Shirshina, confirmed to Kommersant.

On the last day of Mr. Levin’s office, the City Council of Petrozavodsk voted for paying to the ex-mayor of the “golden parachute” amounting to RUR 1,394,000. According to Mrs. Slabunova, this decisions “pushed through” yesterday by the city officials leaving their posts (including development plans relating to construction works in the recreational area in the city centre) were to be analysed by YABLOKO’s lawyers. Slabunova could not rule out that if Mr. Levin managed to sign them, the new mayor could veto these decisions. Mrs. Shirshina refused to give any comments until taking office.