The influential daily Izvestia chose a new editor Friday, ending a months-long struggle over editorial control between journalists and its powerful shareholders, oil giant LUKoil and the Uneximbank group. Vasily Zakharko, who has been acting editor since beleaguered chief editor Igor Golembiovsky left on forced vacation, was confirmed as the new chief editor Friday evening at a meeting of the board of directors. The board picked one of three candidates who had been selected by journalists at a separate meeting. Zakharko was the front runner, with 104 journalists' votes, followed by economic columnist Otto Latsis, with 80, and deputy editor Anatoly Druzenko with 53. Valery Yakov, a senior journalist at the paper, said before the vote Zakharko had assured his colleagues he was a candidate who would be acceptable for both major shareholders. But Yakov also said that during the last two weeks the newspaper had already felt censorship from the owners.