Mayor Sergei Sobyanin supports early election in Moscow

Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin has supported the idea to hold an early mayoral election in the Russian capital and said he would bring forward the proposal to the president. "I'll ask the Russian president in the nearest future, so that the election is held this year," Sobyanin said a meeting of the city's Public Chamber on Tuesday. Under the city law, "we have an opportunity to hold direct election, for the first time in a decade." In the mayor's opinion, the election is the most legitimate form of support of the reforms carried out in the Russian capital. Opinion polls show that "two-thirds of Muscovites support elections as a government forming institution," he said. Meanwhile, a Kremlin source said Sobyanin, in case he runs in the early mayoral election, has all the chances to win. However, to be able to participate in the election, Sobyanin needs the president's consent. "The decision is up to the president," the Kremlin source said. Secretary of the United Russia Party's General Council Sergei Neverov said the Party supported an early mayoral election in Moscow. "If Muscovites suggest electing a mayor this year, we certainly agree with it," Neverov told reporters. The party will give its unequivocal support to incumbent mayor Sergei Sobyanin. "We have a worthy candidate: it's Sergei Sobyanin, who has shown at the post of Moscow mayor that he is "a competent, efficient and responsible official, whose priorities are the problems of Muscovites and their solution. He has achieved much." "The party has no doubts that Sergei Sobyanin will be able to become the candidate around whom various public and political forces in Moscow will consolidate," Neverov underlined. Noting that the competition at the election will be certainly high, Neverov expressed the hope that all the parties represented in the parliament would put up worthy candidates.