Putin’s man made mayor

PRIME MINISTER Vladimir Putin’s chief of staff was confirmed as the new mayor of Moscow yesterday, cementing the powerful Russian leader’s influence over the capital.

Sergei Sobyanin was approved by the city legislature in a near unanimous vote, seen as a mere formality because of his connection to Putin.

He replaces Yuri Luzhkov, fired by President Dmitry Medvedev last month after 18 years in office after he criticised him in a newspaper article.

Luzhkov believes the true reason behind his removal was the Kremlin’s desire to have a more compliant mayor before next year’s parliamentary elections and the 2012 presidential vote, which Putin is widely expected to reclaim.