MOSCOW, November 10 (RIA Novosti) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has backed a new candidate to serve as governor of the Sverdlovsk Region in the Urals, the Kremlin said on Tuesday.
The regional legislature in Yekaterinburg will vote on the candidacy of deputy transport minister Alexander Misharin, to replace the incumbent Edward Rossel, the Kremlin press service said.
Misharin is one of three candidates put forward by the ruling United Russia party for the post, along with Rossel and the regional government chairman, Viktor Koksharov.
Rossel has served as governor since 1995, making him one of the country's longest-serving local leaders. His third term expires on November 21, but he earlier said he planned to remain in office until 2015.
The last two prominent, long-serving governors to leave their posts were Konstantin Titov in the Samara Region in 2007 and Yegor Stroyev in the Oryol Region this year.
Misharin is a member of the United Russia Party.
