Gubernatorial elections in Novosibirsk and Tomsk regions (1995): analysis of the historical experience

The first nationwide presidential election in Russia took place on June 12, 1991, but possibility of the nationwide elections of governors was debatable till 1996 because the Kremlin wanted to preserve the most comfortable conditions in the subjects of the federation before presidential elections of 1996 by keeping appointed and loyal governors in their offices. In this connection only three subjects of the federation were recommended to hold gubernatorial elections in 1995 as an exception. Other subjects of the federation were supposed to have gubernatorial election in December of 1996. On the other hand, governors were far more interested in being democratically elected rather than appointed from Moscow because election would make their position stronger both in their regions and in relationship with the Kremlin. As a result, the governors of Tomsk and Novosibirsk regions V. Kress and I. Indinok managed to obtain the permission to hold the gubernatorial elections on December 17, 1995, the same day when the parliamentary election took place. In Tomsk Region there were four candidates on the governor's position while in Novosibirsk Region there were seven. Those were well-known people who - to a different extent - possessed financial, administrative and informational resources that were needed for participating in the campaign. Political parties, social funds and business also showed interest in it. Political parties were less active during gubernatorial elections than during the federal parliamentary campaign and even those candidates who had membership of the certain party preferred to act independently to have more opportunities for maneuver. Kress was an obvious leader of the campaign in Tomsk Region. He easily won the election. The results of the campaign in Novosibirsk Region were the opposite for I. Indinok. The campaign itself was very intense, candidates used different methods including discrediting evidences and the second round of election was needed. It took place on December 24, 1995, and V. Mukha, who was the head of Novosibirsk region in 1991-1993, was elected. Analysis of the election results shows that party membership of the candidate did not have a lot of influence on the voter's choice. The choice was not ideological but mostly pragmatical: in the first place people were looking for qualities of a good political and economic manager who could put the region on the way of stable development. In spite of some negative trends, legislation shortcomings and breaking of the election laws, the meaning of the first gubernatorial elections should not be underestimated. It was an important step on the way of federated and democratic state construction. For regional elite the elections became an indicator of the state of public opinion and the way to find out how stable and firm their own positions were.

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