Roman Abramovich is to Seat in Chukotka Parliament

During the regional elections, held in Russia this week-end members of the United Russia party had won almost all the seats in the governmants.

But among te winners there were some independetn candidates, though having close ties to the Kremlin.

One of the examples - Roman Abramovich, owner of Britain's Chelsea Football Club and the former governor of Chukotka.

He had served as the governor of Chukotka for eight years before President Dmitry Medvedev accepted his resignation in July. Medvedev's predecessor, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, had refused to accept Abramovich's resignation on multiple occasions.

Two of abromovich's former deputies, Andrei Gorodilov, with 90 percent of the vote, and Aramais Dallakyan, with 80 percent, were also victorious running as independents in single-mandate districts.

Believed to have injected millions of dollars into the remote region, Abramovich once lamented that the governor's job was "too expensive".

Now the things have changed.

The Chukotka regional legislature, in which he is expected to be elected speaker, has just 12 members.

Author: Ksenia Kochneva