Bashkortostan President Murtaza Rakhimov, one of the last regional political heavyweights, ended his 17-year reign by abruptly resigning late Thursday, the same day that lawmakers granted him a $24,500-a-month pension.
The Kremlin said Rakhimov, 76, "voluntarily" resigned during a meeting with President Dmitry Medvedev, who appointed deputy CEO Rustem Khamitov as acting president.
Medvedev praised Rakhimov in televised remarks for his "fruitful service" and awarded him with the Order of Merit to the Fatherland in the first degree.
The Moscow Times
