Скачать или смотреть RUSSIA: ELECTIONS - CANDIDATE MAYOR YURI LUZHKOV

(18 Dec 1999) Eng/Russ/Nat

In the run-up to Sunday's elections, one Russian politician is proving as popular locally as he is unpopular nationally.

Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov is king in his city, but success on the national stage has been elusive.

On Sunday, he is running not only for re-election as mayor but also in the parliamentary elections as head of a new nationwide party - Fatherland All-Russia.

Although Fatherland is expected to win only a small part of the Russian Duma, Luzhkov will surely retain his post as mayor.

Red Square may be in the shadow of the Kremlin, where federal power is wielded in Russia, but tonight it belongs to Yuri Luzhkov, Moscow's mayor.

In Sunday's elections, Luzhkov is running for both a seat in the parliament, the Duma, and for re-election as mayor.

So popular in Moscow, most of his campaign speeches are geared for the national audience.

SOUNDBITE: (Russian)
"And all of our country should (work to) change the way things are going and to change the way our government is run."
SUPER CAPTION: Yuri Luzhkov, Mayor of Moscow

Luzhkov enjoys popularity that would make most politicians green with envy.

He was re-elected in 1996 with a margin rarely seen in democratic elections.

Eighty-nine percent of Muscovites cast their ballots for him.

But all is not so rosy this time around.

Luzhkov will definitely remain in Moscow City Hall, but most polls show him winning with only about 60 percent.

Since 1996, he has made some mistakes.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Yes, of course we know there is a strong Moscow bureaucracy, we know that corruption in Moscow is as same as in the Kremlin, we know that there has been the unnecessary spending of money, and many other things which are a part of our day-to-day picture. This is not a crime, but this is something to be criticised for. From this point of view Mr Luzhkov will lose some of his support, not because he has strong rivals, simply because he has committed a lot of mistakes."
SUPER CAPTION: Viktor Kremenyuk, Political Analyst

Part of the reason for his decline in popularity has been constant attacks from the pro-Kremlin, pro-Yeltsin media.

Luzhkov's nemesis is Sergei Dorenko.

In his weekly political talk-show, Luzhkov receives a regular lambasting.

On the programme the "Luzhkov" name is mentioned in financial scandals involving the mayor's wife and the unsolved murder of a well-known American businessman.

Dorenko believes it is his duty to drag Luzhkov down.

SOUNDBITE: (Russian)
"In order for the voters to be able to make their choice, they need to know everything about the candidate. A politician will mention the good things about himself, but it is my job to mention the bad things. That's it."
SUPER CAPTION: Sergei Dorenko, Host of the "Dorenko Show"

And this time around there are a few other well-known candidates, mostly running small, lacklustre campaigns.

Sergei Kiriyenko, another Prime Minister sacked by Yeltsin, is after the office in city hall.

And there is even a Kremlin-backed bid by Pavel Borodin, the head of the Kremlin Property Committee.

Neither are not serious rivals, but will succeed in stealing a few votes from the incumbent.

But within the Moscow ring road, Luzhkov is still king.

Like New York's mayor, Rudolph Giuliani, Luzhkov has won popularity not by being charming, but by being a tough micro-manager who delivers results.

Much of Moscow's infrastructure and skyline have been rebuilt and polished up under Luzhkov.


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