Penza, 21 February 2015. PenzaNews. The presidential administration of Russia are looking for opportunities to replace the Penza region governor Vasily Bochkarev whose term in the office runs out in the spring of 2015, RBC news agency quotes a source close to the Kremlin authorities.

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At the same time, the news agency quotes their source in the representation office of the Volga Federal District, who thinks “the situation is currently hanging, no understanding of whether Bochkarev stays or goes.”

Another RBC source, this time in the Penza region governor, is quoted as saying there have been no contacts with Moscow on the new governor yet, and these questions are likely to be asked in spring.

However, certain experts think the current financial crisis may help prolong the terms of the Yeltsin-times high-ranking officials who are due to leave their offices this year. This list includes Vasily Bochkarev, who during a January 2015 interview said he had no plans for his future job and had mentioned potentially taking part in the next election. Among such officials are also Aman Tuleev (leader of the Kemerovo region since 1997) and Oleg Betin (who has been heading the Tambov region since 1999).

The Penza region governor could be replaced if there was a competent contender with “influential” protectors, thinks the political analyst Konstantin Kalachev.

“The governors will more likely to be replaced not in the beginning of the crisis, but when it starts to slow down and they can be accused of all unpopular decisions and scapegoat the popular ire,” he thinks.

For over 20 years, Vasily Bochkarev has remained one of the most remarkable regional politicians of Russia. He has remained in the lead of the Penza region, one of the most socially and politically stable regions of the country, for over 16 years.

Vasily Bochkarev was elected to his first term as the governor during the 1998 elections. In April 2002, he has been re-elected to the office, winning the race against Victor Ilyukhin, the State Duma deputy from the Communist Party faction.

In 2005, Vasily Bochkarev’s candidacy has been submitted for approval to the Legislative Assembly of the Penza region by the President Vladimir Putin. The candidacy was subsequently approved during the 35th session of the regional parliament on May 14, 2005.

On April 21, 2010, the president of Russia Dmitry Medvedev again submitted his candidacy to approve Vasily Bochkarev for a new five-year term.

The governor received the approval of the Legislative Assembly once more on April 29, 2010. The 2010-2015 term is the fourth time for the governor to remain in the office.