Rouslan Bodelan

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Rouslan Borysovych Bodelan (Ukrainian: Руслан Борисович Боделан, Russian: Руслан Борисович Боделан; born April 4, 1942 in Berezivka village, Baltsky Raion, Odessa Oblast) is a former Ukrainian politician and statesman.

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[edit] Biography

[edit] Soviet times

Rouslan Bodelan started his career in 1959 as a sports coach/teacher in a secondary school. In 1961 he began his work at the "Odessilbud" construction company (within its Construction and Field Assembly Department #14) in Balta.

Since 1964 Bodelan is active in politics, being member and functioner in Komsomol, Communist Party of the Soviet Union and other Soviet organizations. In 1965, he became a First Secretary (Head) of Kiliya Raion Komsomol Organization. His top position in CPSU was the First Secretary of Odessa Regional Committee, which he occupied in April, 1990.

[edit] Career in independent Ukraine

On April 3, 1990 Bodelan was elected member of the Odessa Oblast Soviet (council). He was later elected a Chairman of this council and was occupying this position up to April, 1998. Simultaneously, Bodelan was a Head of Odessa Oblast State Administration (i.e. governor) in July, 1995 - May, 1998, member of the Verkhovna Rada (parliament) of Ukraine in 1994-1998, a member of Maritime Policy Commission under President of Ukraine in 1995-1998, Head of the Commonwealth of Danube States' Executive Group in 1996-1997.

In August, 1998 Bodelan was elected a Mayor of Odessa city. He was re-elected as Mayor in 2002, but election results were challenged in courts. In 2005 an Odessa court ruled out the elections as void and proclaimed Eduard Gurwitz a legal Mayor of Odessa.

Being in-fact Mayor, Bodelan allegedly took active part in a wide-range election fraud in favor of pro-government candidate during the 2004 presidential election. After the Orange Revolution he fled to Russia, afraid of the criminal prosecution. An investigation of his Mayor activities was opened soon after.

[edit] Immigration

Bodelan is currently wanted under an Interpol search warrant, but Russian authorities refuse to extradite him. He was granted Russian citizenship (which automatically revokes his Ukrainian citizenship) and a position of Deputy Director of the Saint-Petersburg Sea Port. Bodelan refuses to return to Ukraine voluntarily, claiming he is afraid of political prosecution by supporters of the new President Victor Yuschenko.

[edit] Awards

Rouslan Bodelan was awarded with a number of Soviet and Ukrainian decorations and medals, including "Labour Red Flag" Order, "Decoration of Honour" Order, Order of Merits III grade, order of St. Volodymyr II grade.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links