Governor hesitant to sign city charter

<BR>Recently passed by the Legislative Assembly, the city charter which now awaits the governor's and legislative assembly chairperson's signatures, includes several provisions which have been met with Governor Yakovlev's extreme dissatisfaction. However, this legislation, which serves as a kind of city constitution taking juridical precedence over all other municipal legal acts, does not need the city executive's approval to be adopted. In particular, Governor Yakovlev has expressed a disinclination for article 48 which stipulates that the governor may only issue directives which lie within the administration's competence. In other words, the governor will be stripped of his powers to issue any and all directives he wishes affecting St. Petersburg. In theory, this means that as soon as the charter goes into effect, all city affairs will be regulated strictly by municipal legislative processes. Another part of the charter which is looked upon by Petersburg's governor with disfavor is the section defining the election process. In accordance with article 41, elections for the Governor seat are to be carried out in two rounds. Yakovlev has been an ardent supporter of gubernatorial elections decided in one. Despite the fact that the city charter has been passed by the Legislative Assembly, amendments to it are already being planned. Deputy Mikhail Amosov, for instance, has proposed to do away with the system of deputy reserve funds and increase the number of legislative assembly deputies.