Barsik the cat a frontrunner in Siberian city election
Hundreds of Barnaul residents say they would rather vote for a cat than for the 6 other candidates
Tired of the dog-eat-dog politics in their Russian city, the residents of Barnaul say they want a cat to be their next mayor.
- Alaska cat 'mayor' on mend after dog attack
- Tuxedo Stan, the Halifax cat who ran for mayor, dies
- Pouting puppy ends Grumpy Cat's reign as the internet's frowniest pet
The Siberian city of 650,000 people, which lies 2,900 kilometres (1,800 miles) east of Moscow, is to get a new mayor next week. A commission made up of the city council and the regional governor are to choose the next city manager from among six candidates.
But none of the six appear to spark much affection among Barnaul's residents. An informal online poll asking residents to express their preferences among the six and a cat named Barsik showed the feline nabbing more than 90 per cent of the vote.
Barsik has attracted much amused attention in the Russian news media. Still, some local politicians understand there's a more serious message coming from the people of Barnaul, which like many Russian cities has been riddled with alleged corruption.
"Through the image of Barsik the cat, our people are sending definite wishes to the future head of Barnaul," says regional Gov. Alexander Karlin.
"The conclusion has been made that there's absolutely no trust among voters for any of the candidates," said local Communist Party official, Ivan Karpov.
Comments
To encourage thoughtful and respectful conversations, first and last names will appear with each submission to CBC/Radio-Canada's online communities (except in children and youth-oriented communities). Pseudonyms will no longer be permitted.
By submitting a comment, you accept that CBC has the right to reproduce and publish that comment in whole or in part, in any manner CBC chooses. Please note that CBC does not endorse the opinions expressed in comments. Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. Comments are welcome while open. We reserve the right to close comments at any time.