Former Saratov Region Governor Pavel Ipatov was fired because of his extremely low popularity in the region, a Kremlin source told RIA Novosti.
“His [popularity] rating was the lowest among Russian governors,” the source said.
President Dmitry Medvedev fired Ipatov on Friday, provisionally replacing him with Valery Radaev.
"The decision was taken to accept the resignation of Saratov Region governor Pavel Leonidovich Ipatov at his own request," the Kremlin press service quoted a presidential order.
Ipatov told RIA Novosti on Thursday his resignation was a “planned move,” but refused to provide further comment.
A member of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party, Ipatov has held the post of Saratov governor since 2005. In March 2010, Saratov Region deputies approved his reappointment for a second term.
Ipatov became the fifth regional governor to leave his post since the December 2011 parliamentary elections. The leaders of Primorye Territory and Vologda, Archangelsk and Volgograd regions – all United Russia members – were also replaced shortly after the vote. Some analysts have suggested their dismissals were due to United Russia’s poor vote results in their respective regions.
In Saratov, United Russia gained almost 65 percent of the vote, which is about 15 percent more than the party’s average results across Russia.
Medvedev’s press secretary Natalya Timakova said last month that her boss did not plan to fire any more local governors after the departure of Primorye Region governor Sergei Darkin earlier in the month.
Meanwhile, on Friday, Moscow Region governor Boris Gromov, who has been in office for 12 years, said he was planning to leave his post after his current term expires in May.
While in office, Gromov has figured in several scandals widely discussed in the media, including allegations of his involvement in serious financial fraud.
