Moscow Mayor, Luzhkov, to quit office
Yury Luzhkov, currently visiting Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan, announced on Friday that intended to quite his Mayordom after 2007.
"I have made a clear and firm decision, which is not linked with health," Luzhkov said.
It is believed that Luzhkov is stepping down in order to become speaker of the City Duma, a move that may have been influenced by the Kremlin chipping away at Luzhkov's hold on Moscow. President Vladimir Putin recently made Valery Shantsev, Luzhkov's longtime deputy and a possible candidate to succeed him in 2007, the new governor of Nizhny Novgorod.
Luzhkov himself said that he believed Russian President Vladimir Putin would personally nominate his replacement, adding that the future vice mayor of Moscow (to be nominated by Luzhkov), would not necessarily be his successor.
Luzhkov promised that his successor would continue addressing social issues, adding that: "It is not necessary to dramatize my resignation."