ELECTIONS OF KRASNOYARSK TERRITORY GOVERNOR IN 2002
Preliminary: Background
In May 2002, soon after Krasnoyark Territory governor Alexander Lebed' was dead, Taymyr governor Alexander Khloponin decided to participate in the advanced governor elections in the Territory. By that time, the evident leader of the electoral campaign seemed to be Alexander Uss, chairman of the terrotorial legislative assembly, whose positions in the Territory were quite strong. As to Khloponin, he was a relatively new figure for the region, and was less known and popular not only than Uss, but also than Krasnoyarsk mayor Petr Pimashkov, and than head of Khakasia Alexey Lebed'. The commitment was complicated by existing stereotypes of impossibility to achieve any success in the Territory for a politician having a reputation of an "oligarch" and a "Moscower".
Solution
In the region, work was conducted based on a strategy developed according to results of a sociological and a politological surveys. Electoral groups were identified, which could be influenced upon with a maximal effect; a scheme of work with each of the groups was proposed. As key lines of the campaign, the following was proposed: 1. To form an electoral core, to fight for Alexander Lebed's supporters. After Alexander Lebed's death, his supporters were the most mobile electoral group in the region, being the most susceptible to "new" politicians. The possibility of demonstrating clear succession to the ex-governor was however quite limited: this would have pushed away the many electors being in opposition to A.Lebed', and would have made difficult the attraction of the electorate being neutral to A. Lebed'. 2. To win the sympathy of countryfolk. Taking into account that a great number of Lebed's supporters (up to 30%) was concentrated in the countryside, it should become the key factor for the victory. In this connection, the campaign strategy provided for a differentiated campaign taking into consideration the specificity of the countryside and the towns of the territory. 3. To demonstrate the candidate's personal and professional success. Khloponin's disadvantages (youth, wealth, lack of roots in the territory) should be turned into his competitive advantages. This task was resolved by demonstrating the progress of Taymyr and the "Norilsk Nickel", as an example of Khloponin's personal and professional success. 4. Building up an integral strategic image. According to sociological surveys, over 50% of electors were ready to accept a new personality in the region as a candidate, having positive experience of cooperation with the federal center, and not integrated into the local political elite. Khloponin's positioning was built in a way so that these features were attributed to him. 5. Optimized territorial policy. An important strategic solution was to divide the Territory into areas with a different degree of the candidate's electoral support. The optimal policy in the Territory areas provided for Taymyr, Norilsk and Evenka to be used as bases. The following were considered as the most 'problem' areas: Central (Krasnoyarsk) and Western (Achinsk) zones, where strong competition was expected from the opponents. In terms of maximal electoral growth, the most favourable were the Northern (Lesosibirsk) and Eastern (Kan) areas. Such division of the Territory in terms of the candidate's electoral resource allowed developing strategical and tactical methods of work, taking account of the specificity of these areas.
The following project stages may be identified:
The key goal of the first stage (June 15 - July 15) was to increase Khloponin's positive renown. This was achieved by identifying and translating charismatic features of the candidate, and by focusing the electors' attention on his achievements in his previous career. The main result of the first stage was the creation of A. Khloponin's image as a candidate with chances to get through into the second round. In the second stage of the campaign (July 16 - August 8), the candidate's own steady electorate was being formed. Key goals of the stage were the strengthening of expectations for a governor to come who would be able, by way of doing real things, bring the region out of the crisis, and fixing the candidate's image as a charismatic leader. The result of the second stage was A. Khloponin's perception as A. Uss's main competitor. This scenario was originally convenient for A. Uss's headquarters, as, according to sociological surveys, A. Khloponin would be a more "comfortable" rival for A. Uss in the second round, than P. Pimashkov. In the third stage (August 9 - September 8), the priority goal was to optimize all resources of the candidate, in order to get into the second round. At this stage, the crisis of A. Khloponin's campaign which began to show in the first days of August, in connection with his discedit as Taymyr governor, was overcome. Moreover, a sharp personal confrontation with P. Pimashkov and S. Glaziev was avoided. P. Pimashkov's discrediting, initiated in response to the growth of Krasnoyarsk mayor's electoral support, was conducted mostly by Uss's headquarters; as a result, at the campaign finish, the mayor failed to demonstrate clearly his aspiration for the governor's office. However, votes of disappointed P. Pimashkov's supporters did not pass to Uss, but got scattered among Uss, Khloponin and Glaziev. In the fourth stage (September 9-21), the priority goal was to gain the votes of the candidates who had not get through into the second round (first of all, P. Pimashkov and S. Glaziev) for A. Khloponin. The hard countercampaign by A. Uss against P. Pimashkov brought a converse effect, making most of his own electors renounce.
Project results
After the first round of voting on September 8, Alexander Khloponin was the second with 25,25%. His main rival, Alexander Uss, gained 27,63%. Sergey Glaziev with 21,44% was the 3rd, and Petr Pimashkov - the fourth, with 14,3% of votes only. Alexey Lebed' withdrew in the middle of the electoral campaign. Khloponin got into the second round of the elections. On September 22, in the second round, Khloponin obtained 48,07% votes, and Uss — 41,83%. Thus, Khloponin won the governor elections. He gained the absolute priority in the countryside and in 7 of 11 biggest towns of the teritory. In the western part of the territory which was unfavourable for him, Khloponin failed in towns, but partially compensated the failure by a high level of support on the part of countrymen.
