Municipal elections to be held in St Petersburg

St PETERSBURG, August 21 (Itar-Tass) - Voters in two districts of St
Petersburg, Russia's second largest city often referred to as its
'northern capital', go to the polls Sunday to elect deputies of two local
councils.
The incumbent governor of the city, Valentina Matviyenko, has been
registered as a candidate in two constituencies - Petrovsky and
Krasnenkaya Rechka.
Her victory in the election will open the doors for her to the Federal
Council - the upper house of Russian parliament the members of which have
already promised to elect her Madame Speaker.
Chairmen of electoral commissions in both constituencies have told
Itar-Tass the total number of the polling stations to open Sunday is
sixteen.
The total number of registered voters in both constituencies stands at
slightly over 20,000.
Valentina Matviyenko will not take part in the voting herself,
however, as she is not a resident of either constituency.
The polling stations will be open from 08:00 hrs through to midnight
and the official results of vote counting will be announced Monday, August
22.
Three municipal deputies are to be elected in each constituency.
A candidate who emerges victorious from the polling will be expected
to receive a deputy's mandate within five days, Dmitry Krasnyansky, a
deputy chairman of the City Electoral Commission said.
Sources initially named two different constituencies as the ones where
Matviyenko would supposedly run in the election. However, Matviyenko
herself in introduced clarity into the situation at the end of July,
naming Petrovsky and Krasnenkaya Rechka.
She stressed full compliance with the law in the process of calling
elections there.
St Petersburg Interior Department has dispatched 350 policemen to
guard law and order at the polling stations Sunday.