Krasnodar region Governor Alexander Tkachyov on Friday announced that he had sacked all his deputies and advisers and the heads of all the region's departments and services.
He explained his decision by saying all the officials filling those positions must be re-appointed after he officially takes office for his fifth term later this month. Tkachyov said Friday in a message on Twitter that he would be very "picky" in choosing candidates for the jobs.
Tkachyov spokeswoman Anna Minkova told Interfax that she thought he had made the move because he did not want the officials to be automatically reappointed.
President Dmitry Medvedev named Tkachyov to a fifth term as Krasnodar governor last month. Tkachyov has served in the post since 2000.
Meanwhile on Friday, the Murmansk legislature confirmed Marina Kovtun as governor of the region after her nomination by Medvedev earlier this week, RIA-Novosti reported. Kovtun, who had served as deputy head of the regional assembly, will replace Dmitry Dmitrienko, who last week announced his resignation from the job. He had served in the post since 2009.
Kovtun, a member of United Russia, joined the regional legislature in December. Before that, she worked at a Norilsk Nickel subsidiary and in various government posts, including head of tourism development for the Murmansk government.
