New Moscow mayor pledges regular review of officials

Newly appointed Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin on Sunday vowed to conduct routine inspection and review over work of the Russian capital's officials, naming it as a " knockout game."

"I will regularly come round the city and hold inspections; I will strike the balance every three and every six months," said Sobyanin as quoted by the RIA Novosti news agency.

"Those officials who show ... the worst quarter results will be punished and after considering the half year results quitted," he said, adding that "this is knockout game as, unfortunately, nothing can be achieved with blandishment now."

In order to tackle Moscow's persistent traffic problems, Sobyanin said a new timetable will soon be introduced, by which officials will have to start working at 08:00 a.m. (0500 GMT).

However, "the move will not bring cardinal changes. We will pursue this goal consistently, step by step," he added.

Before his official inauguration on Oct. 21, Sobyanin declared combating the capital's transport problems as one of his top priorities, along with fight corruption.

Source: Xinhua