Governor of the Saratov region Valery Radaev. Archival photoSARATOV, January 26, Eduard Demyanets. The governor of the Saratov region Valery Radaev is working, despite reports in the media about a possible resignation, he is currently taking part in the next meeting of the regional Duma, the head of the press told RIA Novosti -service of the head of the region Nina Popova. On Wednesday, Vedomosti, citing sources in the presidential administration and the United Russia party, reported that Radaev, who has been governor since 2012, may retire in the first quarter of this year. «We have a working day today, Valery Vasilievich is currently taking part in a meeting of the regional Duma. Everything is going on as usual,» Popova said, commenting on reports of Radaev's possible resignation. Earlier on October 27, 2021, at a meeting of the regional Duma in response to the remark of the deputy from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation Nikolai Bondarenko, who expressed a desire to take part in the debate with Radaev in the gubernatorial elections in 2022, the head of the region said that «I have powers terminated», but a little later he clarified: «My powers expire next year». In 2012, the Duma, on the proposal of the President of the Russian Federation, endowed Radaev with the powers of the governor. After his first term as governor, Radaev won the September 2017 elections and took office for a second five-year term. According to the charter of the region, the governor of the region is elected for a period of five years and cannot hold the specified position for more than two consecutive terms. On December 21, 2021, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the federal law on the organization of public power in the subjects of Russia. The document, in particular, removes the ban for governors to be elected for more than two consecutive terms.
