Penza, 21 March 2015. PenzaNews. Alexander Yelatontsev, head of the Internal Policy and Mass Communications Department of the Penza region, published a press message explaining the words of the governor Vasily Bochkarev about potential gubernatorial candidates he had said during the press conference in the roundtable hall of the regional government that had taken place late on Thursday, March 19.

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“Some regional media have partially misunderstood or misinterpreted the situation he [the Penza region governor Vasily Bochkarev] described during the press conference, especially, perhaps, the irony in his words about the candidates that may take part in it. Self-promoted candidates will not be allowed to take part in the 2015 struggle for the governor’s seat, and the representatives of the regional election committee have stated it. The representatives of political parties will be allowed to take part in the gubernatorial election. I would like to refrain from taking any responsibility and comment on what parties these will be, but I think these first will include the parties in the Parliament. Why? Because they do have more reserves than the newly registered. As of now, we have 47 parties in the Penza region, and I don’t think every one of them has what it takes to pass the election run,” Alexander Elatontsev said during the extraordinary press briefing on Saturday, March 21.

He stressed that Vasily Bochkarev made did not claim he will not be taking part in the election as a candidate during the press conference.

“Firstly, Vasily Bochkarev did not claim he will not be taking part in the 2015 election campaign for the Penza region governor’s seat. What he meant is that this will be the first alternative democratic election of the head of the Penza region in a long time. Naturally, he hopes that worthy people, worthy residents of the Sura Krai, worthy candidates will take part in it. This was what Vasily Kuzmich [Bochkarev] mean during the press conference with journalists on Thursday,” the department head explained.

According to him, Vasily Bochkarev’s decision to take part in the election for the Penza region governor will depend on three important aspects.

“The first one is, of course, the political will of the head of the state, the Russian President [Vladimir Putin]. Why? Because he is answering directly to the president for all that happens on the territory entrusted to him, in this particular federation entity, in the Penza region. The second one is the region’s economic state at the time of his promotion as a candidate. Right now, the economy of the Penza region, even if we take February into account, shows growth. I strongly believe this growth will be registered in March as well even during these uneasy times. And the third point, I think it’s no less important than the others, is the trust of the people, the Sura Krai residents. Why? Because Vasily Bochkarev is a true patriot of the Penza region. He did very much for this region. I can recall the 1998 election, the popular election as well. The economy was in a terrible shape. The state owed a lot to state officials, and people were protesting and rioting a lot. Despite all, he managed to overcome those difficulties. And if the media see his 1998 election campaign, they will find that the gubernatorial candidate Vasily Bochkarev completed every election promise. I am more than sure that if the governor decides to take part in the election during the economically uneasy 2015, he will deliver on the task. Especially when the regional economy practically proven to show growth in February and March, as I had said,” Alexander Elatontsev said.

The head of the Internal Policy and Mass Communications Department of the Penza region also named one more factor which he called very important.

“Vasily Bochkarev worries for the Penza region, his heart aches for the region, because he was born here, because it is his Small Motherland. And, of course, he uses all his powers, all his immense experience as a head of the region for the sake of the Sura Krai residents. I can tell you that as a personal witness, because it is difficult to say when his working day starts in the morning and when it ends in the evening,” Alexander Elatontsev said.

“This is my comment. You can consider it an official statement,” he added.

As PenzaNews agency reported earlier, the office of the current Penza region governor Vasily Bochkarev ends on March 26, 2015, exactly five years after he gave the oath of allegiance during the extraordinary 28th session of the Legislative Assembly of the Penza region of the fourth convocation held on March 26, 2010.

The regional election committee provided elaborate notes on organization and execution of gubernatorial elections in the Penza region, along with a list of the main stages of the election campaign. The election is scheduled for September 13, 2015.

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.