Khabarovsk mayor to be elected by councillors from governor's nominees

Khabarovsk has adopted a new charter changing how its mayor is chosen. City councillors will elect the mayor from candidates put forward by the regional governor, the city administration said.

The draft underwent public hearings involving residents. The administration said the changes reflected federal legislation on the unified system of public authority.

City council chairman Andrey Beloglazov said a similar system had operated in Khabarovsk 123 years earlier, when council members elected the city head.

He said the new charter detailed budgetary relations and oversight of spending. It retained public hearings and participatory budgeting, allowing residents to take part in city projects.