Moscow refused to award former Moscow mayor Yury Luzhkov the title of “Honorary Citizen of Moscow” on Friday, explaining that the statutory period after he was sacked had not yet expired.
Luzhkov, Moscow's long-serving mayor, was fired in September 2010 after a public row with President Dmitry Medvedev. The former government chief of staff, Sergei Sobyanin, replaced Luzkhov.
“To award the title [of Honorary Citizen] it is necessary to compile certain documents. If the documents do not conform to the prescribed order, we must deny award of the title. In this case, three years has not passed since Luzhkov left office,” speaker of Moscow State Duma Vladimir Platonov said.
In September 2010, the Moscow State Duma received a request from an individual named Drozhzhinov to award the former mayor the title.
Platonov added that the order awarding the title to deputies of Moscow's municipal parliament, government members and the Moscow mayor was signed by Luzhkov in 1995 when he was still mayor.
