The mayor of Berezovsky shockingly lost the recent local elections to a “puppet candidate” who happens to be his subordinate and the wife of his personal driver.

Russian media has been reporting on the surprising outcome of the mayoral race in Berezovsky, a satellite city of Yekaterinburg, in Russia’s Sverdlovsk region. The reelection of Yevgeny Pistsov, who was trying to secure a fourth consecutive term as mayor, seemed little more than a formality, as he was running against a fellow member of Vladimir Putin’s United Russia political party who also happened to be a subordinate of his and the wife of his personal driver. No one expected Yulia Maslakova to win, she even told reporters that she ran as a “sparring partner” for Pistov, but the impossible happened and now she is doing everything in her power to avoid being sworn in as mayor.

In Berezovsky, like in many other cities, the mayor is not elected directly by the people, but by deputies on the proposal of a selection committee. The deputies are usually representatives of various local and regional authorities. This year, the deputies had reportedly asked the selection committee to allow more alternative candidates to choose from, but they were ultimately presented with only two options, Mayor Pistsov and Yulia Maslakova, the head of the investment development department of the Berezovsky administration and wife of Yevgeny Pistsov’s personal driver.

Russian newspaper Kommersant recently reported that during the recent local elections, out of the 23 deputies, 17 voted for Maslakova and only six for Pitsov. It is believed that the vote was in direct retaliation to the current mayor not allowing the deputies to elect “their candidate” by preventing them from running.

When the result of the elections in Berezovsky was announced, no one was more shocked than the winner. Maslakova reportedly tried to withdraw from the race but was told that it was impossible because she had already competed and won. She now has two weeks to take the oath as mayor, but she apparently has no plans to do so. A source in the Sverdlovsk region government told Kommersant that Maslakova “has refused the position” of mayor because she doesn’t want to work in “an atmosphere of conflict”.

If Yulia Maslakova doesn’t show up to be sworn in as mayor in 15 days, new local elections will be held, but political analysts in Russia doubt that Yevgeny Pistsov will secure a new term, because of the embarrassing result of this first election.

“It is an illusion to think that since the mayor is supported by the regional authorities, this will save him from falling into political oblivion,” local political scientist Alexander Belousov explained. “No one needs weak mayors.”

We’re just speculating, but could Yulia Maslakova’s refusal to accept the seat of mayor of Berezovsky have anything to do with the fact that her husband would become her personal driver?

Oddity Central