Penza, 20 April 2015. PenzaNews. The State Duma deputy from LDPR Valery Ischenko, who gained only 2.15% of the vote during the 2014 Penza city Duma election, addressed the Penza region governor Vasily Bochkarev with a letter, asking him to retire, cancel his plans to go for the fifth gubernatorial term and “stop clutching on to power.”

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“This is your eighteenth year in the head of the Penza region. One can argue much about the successes and failures. But it is completely clear to me you tried hard to attract investments in the region. Nobody doubts it, and this opinion is not biased. However, some still question the reasons about the true motives behind this work. Is it personal economic interest, or the struggle to bring money to the regional budget and employ more people? Time will tell. Or, maybe, your current subordinates and people heading the regional Legislative Assembly will tell. After all, you failed to make a tightly-knit effective team. You are mostly surrounded by two types of people: either faceless officials with no personal ambitions, fairly plain, who do not care who is in the governor’s offce; or businessmen politicians who squeeze the last drops from the emaciated budget. They are already trying to undermine you, trying to spin off the media tales about factories, shopping centers, health resorts, agricultural enterprises that you allegedly have partial ownership in. Some are doing this in an attempt to win your place, and some just nurture petty revenge to their boss. And all these local fights can bring down the already shaky social and political situation in the region,” reads Anton Ischenko’s address to Vasily Bochkarev published in Facebook on Monday, April 20.

The letter also asks the head of the region to leave his office.

“Dear Vasily Kuzmich! You are an experienced politician and a wise man. It is time to stop clutching on to power. Nothing is eternal, and nobody has defeated time yet. Neither will you. Please, retire voluntarily and with dignity! Denounce balloting for the fifth term! One must repent to the citizens of the region. I believe they will understand and forgive you,” says Anton Ischenko’s address.

“Your experience, knowledge and energy after retirement should be directed to help the Sura region. A young, honest, lawful, energetic and modern governor of the Penza region that will ballot from the Liberal-Democratic Party will offer you a position of the governor’s advisor. Such a tandem will be beneficial for all the citizens, help maintain the political balance and stability in the region. The citizens are waiting for changes,” says the State Duma deputy’s letter.