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Rakhimov to Get Immunity

Bashkortostan President Murtaza Rakhimov, in power since 1993, may resign Thursday after he is granted personal and financial immunity by the local legislature, local lawmaker Oleg Polstovalov said, Vedomosti reported Wednesday.

A source close to the Bashkortostan government told Vedomosti that the outgoing president might get a lifelong pension of up to 9 million rubles ($294,000) a year in addition to an unspecified lump sum. He will also be entitled to use some presidential residences, the source said.

Rakhimov's term ends in October 2011, but he said Tuesday that he had begun talks with the Kremlin on choosing his successor.

Vedomosti said possible replacements were Bashkortostan Prime Minister Rail Sarbayev; Rustem Mardanov, head of the republic's National Bank; and Rustem Khamitov, a former head of the Federal Water Resources Agency.

(MT)


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