A spokesman for Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, whose possible dismissal has lately been in the center of Russian media attention, rejected as 'absurd' statements that the Moscow head might not return to Russia after his vacation abroad.
"The Moscow mayor is on an agreed vacation in Austria and will return at the designated time to continue his work," Sergei Tsoi said in an interview with Ekho Moskvy radio station.
Earlier, leader of the ultranationalist Liberal Democratic Party Vladimir Zhironovsky presumed that Luzhkov, who had taken a brief leave and left for abroad, might not return to Russia.
According to Tsoi, Luzhkov continues to work actively even abroad.
Luzhkov, who has been in office since 1992, is allegedly at odds with President Dmitry Medvedev. Their conflict is thought to have its roots in a September article by Luzhkov in the Rossiiskaya Gazeta government daily that hinted at criticism of the Medvedev-Putin tandem.
The mayor was recently accused of massive corruption by federal TV channels. Some media reports quoted sources in the presidential staff and the ruling United Russia party as saying that the long-serving Moscow mayor may be fired no later then December.
RIA Novosti
