Leonid Markelov

Leonid Markelov

Leonid Igorevich Markelov (Russian: Леони́д И́горевич Марке́лов ) (Mari: Маркелов Леонид Игоревич) (born 1963) is a Russian politician and lawyer, who is serving as the head of the Mari El republic in Russia. He took office on January 14, 2001. Markelov was elected in December 2000 in one of the most contentious elections that occurred in the period between 1991 and 2005 when leaders of Russian administrative divisions were directly elected. In the first round, Markelov came slightly ahead of incumbent Vyacheslav Kislitsyn with Markelov receiving 29% and Kislitsyn receiving 25% in a field of several other candidates. In the runoff two weeks later, Markelov was elected with 59% of the vote. In 1996, Markelov had been defeated by Kislitsyn, receiving 38% of the vote. Markelov was elected to a second 4-year term in 2004, receiving 56% of the vote.