Former Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov, who was dismissed from his post by President Dmitry Medvedev last year, has denied rumors about his possible return to the United Russia party, which he left ahead of his dismissal.
In an interview with Russian Moskovsky Komsomolets daily, the ex-mayor described the rumors as "nonsense."
"Unfortunately, United Russia turned from a ruling party into party serving the authorities," Luzhkov, who was a party co-chairman before leaving it, said. "Since then I haven't changed my opinion; moreover, I became even more convinced."
Medvedev fired Luzhkov, who had been in office since 1992, last fall over "loss of confidence," later citing exuberant corruption in Moscow and negligence of direct duties as the main reasons for his dismissal.
MOSCOW, June 7 (RIA Novosti)
